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• alliance
  alliance

  noun

  the act of allying or state of being allied.
• Alliance
  Alliance

  noun

  a city in NE Ohio.

alliance

¹ American  

[uh-lahy-uhns] / əˈlaɪ əns /

noun

• alliances
  plural

1. 

   the act of allying or state of being allied.

   Synonyms:

   affiliation, partnership, bloc, combination, coalition, association

2. a formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes.

   Synonyms:

   compact, pact

3. a merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states, or organizations.

   an alliance between church and state.

4. the persons or entities so allied.

5. marriage or the relationship created by marriage between the families of the spouses.

6. correspondence in basic characteristics; affinity.

   the alliance between logic and metaphysics.

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Alliance ² American  

[uh-lahy-uhns] / əˈlaɪ əns /

noun

1. a city in NE Ohio.

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alliance ¹ British  

/ əˈlaɪəns /

noun

1. the act of allying or state of being allied; union; confederation

2. a formal agreement or pact, esp a military one, between two or more countries to achieve a particular aim

3. the countries involved in such an agreement

4. a union between families through marriage

5. affinity or correspondence in qualities or characteristics

6. botany a taxonomic category consisting of a group of related families; subclass

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Alliance ² British  

/ əˈlaɪəns /

noun

1. 1. the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party acting or regarded as a political entity from 1981 to 1988

   2. ( as modifier )

      an Alliance candidate

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Usage

What is an alliance? An alliance is the act or state of being in a mutually beneficial relationship to work toward a common goal, as in The United States’ longest alliance is with France. Often, alliance refers to a formal agreement between nations that promise to assist each other in war, as in Germany, Italy, and Japan agreed on an alliance during World War II. Alliance can also be used more generally to refer to the people or groups that come together in a common cause, as in The invading orcs were defeated by an alliance of men, elves, and dwarves. Alliance is similar to words such as confederation, union, and league, which also refer to beneficial partnerships. Alliance is used more generally than these words, however. Example: The kids at my school formed an alliance to stop the bully from harassing us. 

Synonym Usage

Alliance, confederation, league, union all mean the joining of states for mutual benefit or to permit the joint exercise of functions. An alliance may apply to any connection entered into for mutual benefit. League usually suggests closer combination or a more definite object or purpose. Confederation applies to a permanent combination for the exercise in common of certain governmental functions. Union implies an alliance so close and permanent that the separate states or parties become essentially one.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interalliance
  noun
• nonalliance
  noun
• prealliance
  noun
• realliance
  noun
• suballiance
  noun
• proalliance
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• alliances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of alliance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English aliance, from Old French; equivalent to ally + -ance

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Explanation

Countries that have an alliance, or agreement, help each other out when in need. That means during times of war, for example, if two countries have an alliance, one will help the other by providing weapons and supplies. An alliance doesn't just have to be between two countries; you can see alliances formed on a playground, when kids start clustering in groups or dividing themselves into teams to play tag. An alliance is essentially a connection through which a common interest is shared. A marriage is an alliance between two people who decide to share their lives together.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alliance Alliance alliances

Veterinary pathologists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance performed the necropsy, Fish and Wildlife said in a joint statement with the wildlife alliance and the raptor center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance which last year seized much of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The region is watching what Washington will do when the cornerstone of its Gulf alliance system is under attack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Grynkewich elaborated what he called his "theory of victory" to defeat an armed attack on the alliance as worries surge over what Western officials call a "hybrid" campaign of sabotage and interference by Moscow.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Not in half a thousand years have they forgotten their grievance that the lords of Gondor gave the Mark to Eorl the Young and made alliance with him.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Lidegaard and his Nordic counterparts just announced a Nordic Growth Alliance to promote cooperation in sectors such as quantum technology, data centers and space, while reducing red tape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

One clue comes from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobbying arm of major auto manufacturers and equipment makers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Alliance Party MLA Peter McReynolds said it was "an absolutely heartbreaking incident" and his thoughts were with the families and emergency service personnel.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The current governing coalition is made up of United List, New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers and the National Alliance.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

I was expecting a little walk down Main Street, but instead there was a motorcade of ten cars that traveled from the New Jersey Fencing Alliance all the way to the town library.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

"Those alliances and the way that the world sees us are crucial to us."

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

After World War II, the U.S. increasingly relied on military alliances, overseas bases, trade and international institutions to project power.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026

Rays of hope are always welcome in this dark era, but there are at least three reasons to think the authors’ case—and the optimistic read on the future of American alliances writ large—has some holes.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

Since World War II, America has fostered economic and military relations, trading with more than 100 nations and forming more than 50 military alliances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

There can be alliances even in such places, even under such circumstances.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

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