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• Allies
  Allies

  plural noun

  (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.
• allies
  allies

  noun

  the plural of ally

Allies

American  

[al-ahyz, uh-lahyz] / ˈæl aɪz, əˈlaɪz /

plural noun

1. (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.

2. the 26 nations that fought against the Axis in World War II and, with subsequent additions, signed the charter of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.

3. the member nations of NATO.

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Allies ¹ British  

/ ˈælaɪz /

plural noun

1. (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Britain) together with the nations allied with them

2. (in World War II) the countries that fought against the Axis. The main Allied powers were Britain and the Commonwealth countries, the US, the Soviet Union, France, China, and Poland See also Axis

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allies ² British  

/ ˈælaɪz /

noun

1. the plural of ally

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Allies Cultural  

1. The victorious allied nations of World War I and World War II. In World War I, the Allies included Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and the United States. In World War II, the Allies included Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

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Etymology

Origin of Allies

Plural of ally

Compare meaning

How does allies compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Allies vs. Central Powers

Explanation

In war, allies are friends — specifically, friendly nations — you can trust. Allies are on your side. The main meaning of this word comes from war. Without allies, a country is going to be all alone in a war. Like many other words of war, this term spread beyond the battlefield. A politician trying to pass a law is going to need allies, probably in both political parties. Any time there's a disagreement or conflict, it helps to have allies: if you don't, you're all alone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Allies allies

Operation Fortitude saw the Allies deploy a faux “First U.S. Army Group” of inflatable tanks and wooden planes to distract from the D-Day invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Allies hope to avoid a blow-up in Turkey by showcasing new spending and deals, and lavishing on hospitality.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Donnie's body was buried by the Germans and later reburied by the Allies in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Berlin.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

Allies welcomed the interim peace deal between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which European officials hope will calm tensions heading into the summit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

While the Allies eventually wanted to destroy the Nazi spy networks, for now it was more useful to keep them talking—and to have Elizebeth listen in.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Only six countries in this year's survey still favour the US more, most of which are staunch US allies: Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan and Israel.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Maybe having some allies in that moment soothed him.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

America’s task is to work with our free-world allies to make sure there is an alternative—cleaner, cheaper and faster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

The Fain-Boyer rift started almost as soon as the two agreed to run as allies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

In just over three years, she solved a staggering twelve thousand secret messages for the Coast Guard and its allies in the Rum War.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner