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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

Allies also agreed to explore air-to-air missile production in Europe, to build more European transport and tanker aircraft, and to build Ukrainian drones elsewhere in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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

At the end of 1942, the Allies were in a stronger position than they had been at the start.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 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

Back in Washington, D.C., the Public Allies founders had mustered a fledgling class of fifteen Allies who were working in various organizations around the city.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

In their early years on the court, they appeared to be friends and allies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Congress, the American people, or any of your allies.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026

"The defence industry is global, and European industry remains embedded in global networks with allies," said Emil Archambault, an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

The Soviets and Americans had been allies in the war, united by their common enemy, Adolf Hitler’s Germany.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner