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.

---

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

---

allies ² British  

/ ˈælaɪz /

noun

1. the plural of ally

---

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.

---

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

Example Sentences

We all hoped it might be the Allies—from the refugees we had heard such terrible things about the Red Army.

From Literature

Appeared in the March 18, 2026, print edition as 'The Allies Take a Pass on Iran'.

From The Wall Street Journal

Allies in the Gulf are privately furious with the U.S., according to diplomats and others familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suddenly announced it at the 1943 Casablanca conference as an aim of the World War II Allies, he did so off the cuff.

From MarketWatch

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the Allies had a different problem.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner