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.
The Central Asian leader, who is a Moscow ally but who has never condoned Russia's offensive, said the roots of the war are "not understandable".
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
“If you are new here, I am a vocal ally of the trans community,” Turner wrote on X in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
I suppose he could argue that Sarwar is an ally on his agenda to rewire how British politics works and can now agitate for change from within.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
And why would the U.A.E., which has been a far better ally to the U.S. than Saudi Arabia during the war with Iran, now be content to follow the rules alone?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Japan, led by Emperor Hirohito, has a mighty ally in Germany, where Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler currently rules.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
Illicit distillation "is IP theft and industrial espionage" and "a national challenge that creates serious national security risks for the United States and democratic allies," Sarah Heck, Anthropic's head of public policy, said on X.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the war succeeded in destroying Iran’s missile arsenal and production, sinking its navy, weakening its militia allies and ensuring it won’t possess a nuclear weapon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
In October 1917, near the little frontier town of Caporetto, the Austrians with their German allies achieved an unexpected breakthrough in what is called the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
The reporting reveals the important role of Canada in molding the allied consensus on how to deal with the new Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The ambiguity in the lyrics allied to the familiar, easy melody, Harrison believes, allows fans to "express an outpouring of love without necessarily specifying what it's towards".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Tigray borders Eritrea and during the war, its troops were allied with Ethiopian government forces.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
"Too many allied capitals seem to still miss something in translation," Hegseth said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
He must have allied with Balekin, misdirected Dain’s spies.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Daglo worked for years for Bashir before allying with Burhan to overthrow him in 2019 as part of Sudan's revolution.
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025
Additionally, Brics enables India to advance its core foreign policy principle of strategic autonomy, whereby it aims to balance relations with a wide spectrum of geopolitical players, without formally allying with any of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
By the time the first Spanish missionaries arrived in the 14th century, at least seven different groups were trading, marrying, allying, and fighting with one another in a complex political network.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 3, 2024
With Navarro, Foster transforms Danvers into someone more brittle but not lacking in heart, a cornered creature vacillating between allying herself with what’s facing her or turning on it.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2024
For the other nations in the confederacy, the benefits of allying with either side were not clear-cut.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
