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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

During World War II, the Allies attacked Germany’s synthetic-fuel plants, refineries, aircraft factories, rail networks and transportation system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

When the U.S. finally entered World War I in 1917, America’s vast industrial resources helped Allies keep fighting before U.S. troops arrived, and then tipped the balance after forces landed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Allies of the former mayor of Greater Manchester say Burnham's time in that job proved to him "how resistant Whitehall can be to devolution", as one put it, and that he wanted that to change.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

"Historically this was overly reliant on the US. Now the US has adjusted its pledged contributions -- and other Allies have stepped up to contribute more," Rutte said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

But the Italian army proved woefully unprepared for war, launching repeated attacks against the Austrians, gaining no ground, suffering huge casualties, and becoming a liability rather than an asset to the Allies.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

A major chokepoint in its own right, it has become a release valve for diverted Saudi barrels but is being threatened by Iran’s Yemeni allies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Washington has sought to ease tensions with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies who have been targeted by Tehran since the start of the conflict.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

But it became a consistent and central point of negotiation between the two allies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

He said Modi had called for a "foolproof system" to prevent irregularities in the future at a closed-door meeting with his allies on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

He and his agents were looking for ways to attack the United States and its allies, too.

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

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner