a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose.
Canada and the United States were allies in World War II.
Biology. a plant, animal, or other organism bearing an evolutionary relationship to another, often as a member of the same family.
The squash is an ally of the watermelon.
a person who associates or cooperates with another; supporter.
a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group: As a man, how can I be a good ally to women in the struggle for gender equality?
Straight allies speak up for the LGBTQ community.
As a man, how can I be a good ally to women in the struggle for gender equality?
to unite or be united, esp formally, as by treaty, confederation, or marriage
(tr; usually passive) to connect or be related, as through being similar or compatible
a country, person, or group allied with another
a plant, animal, substance, etc, closely related to another in characteristics or form
What else does ally mean? An ally is someone that aligns with and supports a cause with another individual or group of people. A straight ally, more specifically, is an individual outside of the LGBTQ community that supports their fight for equality and rights.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English alien, from Anglo-French alal(l)ierier, aillaier, Old French alier, from Latin alligāre “to bind to”; see alloy
If you have an ally, you have someone who is on your side, like a more experienced teammate who is your ally in convincing the coach to give you more playing time. Ally comes from the Latin word alligare, meaning "to bind to," like nations who are allies in wartime — they will act together, and protect one another. You can also use ally as a verb, meaning "join forces with." For example, you might ally yourself with influential people to advance your career. As a noun, pronounce ally like this: "AL-eye." As a verb, it's "uh-LIE."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Evika Silina resigned as prime minister on May 14 after she fired her defence minister and lost the support of his party, which had been a key coalition ally.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Flanking Bass on the left is Nithya Raman, a progressive City Council member who was once the mayor’s political ally.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
Krause, long a Paxton ally, joined the growing list of primary challengers seeking to oust the incumbent.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
The president said Poland would get 5,000 extra troops, a move that is intended to reassure an ally but won’t forestall the White House’s effort to shrink the U.S. military presence in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
To ask your big sister to be your ally is like asking Nova Scotia to go into battle with you.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
