ally

¹

[uh-lahy, al-ahy, uh-lahy]

verb (used with object)

allied, allying 

1. to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like (usually followed by with orto ).

   Russia allied itself to France.

   Synonyms: wed, wed, combine, join, join, unify

2. to associate or connect by some mutual relationship, as resemblance or friendship.

verb (used without object)

allied, allying 

1. to enter into an alliance; join; unite.

noun

plural

allies 

1. 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.

   Synonyms: confederate, partner
   Antonyms: adversary, foe, enemy

2. 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.

3. a person who associates or cooperates with another; supporter.

   Synonyms: helper, assistant, auxiliary, coadjutor, colleague, abettor, accessory, accomplice, aide, friend
   Antonyms: adversary, foe, enemy

4. 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?

-ally

²

1. an adverbial suffix attached to certain adjectives with stems in -ic that have no forms ending in -ical: terrifically.

ally

verb

1. to unite or be united, esp formally, as by treaty, confederation, or marriage

2. (tr; usually passive) to connect or be related, as through being similar or compatible

noun

1. a country, person, or group allied with another

2. a plant, animal, substance, etc, closely related to another in characteristics or form

Other Word Forms

• alliable adjective
• preally verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ally¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English alien, from Anglo-French alal(l)ierier, aillaier, Old French alier, from Latin alligāre “to bind to”; alloy

Origin of ally²

-al ¹ + -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of ally¹

C14: from Old French alier to join, from Latin alligāre to bind to, from ligāre to bind

Example Sentences

During the first episode of his podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” the governor — a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community — acknowledged the struggle faced by transgender people but called transgender women’s participation in women’s sports “deeply unfair” and warned it was hurting Democrats at the polls.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Later, he appointed political ally Richard Grenell as the organization’s interim executive director.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On Sunday, angry supporters of leading opposition candidate and former Biya ally, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 76, took to the streets in his stronghold of Garoua.

Read more on BBC

In August 2025, Hamas ally Islamic Jihad published a video showing Braslavski looking weak and thin as he spoke under duress.

Read more on Barron's

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Warsaw is “a model ally.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• associate 
• colleague 
• friend 
• partner 

When To Use

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.