ally

¹

[ verb uh-lahy; noun al-ahy, uh-lahy ]

verb (used with object)

, al·lied, al·ly·ing.

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

   Russia allied itself to France.

   Synonyms: wed, combine, join, unify

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

verb (used without object)

, al·lied, al·ly·ing.

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

noun

, plural al·lies.

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 Words From

• al·li·a·ble adjective
• pre·al·ly noun plural preallies
• pre·al·ly verb preallied preallying

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

It has been a momentous year for tackling issues of social justice in the workplace—one that has seen many who are not directly impacted by racial and gender inequality look to step up to the plate as allies to the cause.

From Fortune

To me, the most important thing is just to be eager to learn, find good allies, find good mentors.

From Search Engine Land

The deal that Perry and his allies pursued for three years while he was in Washington didn’t die when he stepped down and returned to Texas.

From ProPublica

China sees Africa as an instrumental ally that will support its ambition to dominate the global stage and shift the focus of world leadership away from the US.

From Quartz

The future of our businesses, our economy, and our nation relies on us today to be allies for our neighbors.

From Fortune

But Ally knows better and dresses tastefully for her age and body type now.

From The Daily Beast

We are not "equal" and you are not an ally if this is the childish base of your notions.

From The Daily Beast

In many ways, the behavior of the male “ally” demonstrates how far we have to go in the tech industry.

From The Daily Beast

But on closer inspection, Wadhwa is still early in his journey to becoming a real ally.

From The Daily Beast

Whilst Whitacre never defined himself as an “ally,” this remains a cautionary tale of what not to do.

From The Daily Beast

It was of course obvious that France, the traditional ally of Sweden, dominated Europe.

From Project Gutenberg

At last the lascar rose and floundered through the mud toward the village, but he was careful to leave an ally to watch the boats.

From Project Gutenberg

Thenceforth he was always a reliable ally of the Spaniards against Moro incursions.

From Project Gutenberg

In Nicholas Rubinstein he found a powerful friend and ally, who supported his enterprise for twenty years with unfailing energy.

From Project Gutenberg

To be called Thomas was gratifying, but the Mr. was quite overpowering and made Tom her ally at once.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner

About This Word

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.

Where did the term ally come from?

In the LGBTQ community, ally is found by the 1990s, an extension of the word ally as “supporter.” The concept of an ally, however, is much older. PFLAG, or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays was founded in 1973 and has been a major organization for allies ever since.

There have been prominent campaigns to promote allyship, like 2015’s #illgowithyou, in which allies accompany transgender people in bathrooms so they feel safe. The equal sign logo for the Human Rights Campaign has been associated with allyship as well.

From the LGBTQ community, the term ally has spread to refer to people who are aligned in support of other disenfranchised and minority communities, such as people of color.

How to use the term ally

If someone supports LGBTQ rights, they are considered an ally in that community. Many other minority communities adopt the ally moniker with pride.

Oh my favorite is, “You are the reason it’s so hard to be an ally.”

No sister, your commitment to white supremacy is the reason it’s so hard to be an ally.

— Tori Williams Douglass (@ToriGlass) October 6, 2018

The human resources department of large corporate companies sometimes define ally in their official company literature, and many LGBTQ support groups welcome allies to their spaces and meetings.

While many in the LGBTQ community value “good” allies, there are many articles that outline how to be a better ally. They cite not taking up space in discussion over someone who is LGBTQ, trying to understand the history and nuance of the movement, and actively fighting injustice and discrimination as it happens.

white people: there is a thin line between being an ally and taking someone elses voice. learn where it is & how to not cross it

— king k. rool (@keri_wtf) November 5, 2018

If you are white, scream against systemic racism. If you are straight ally for lgbtq rights. If you are an American citizen, stand up for undocumented people. Stand up for the indigenous, the poor, the Black, the trans, the you, the me, the us.

— Nico Tortorella (@NicoTortorella) October 22, 2018

More examples of ally:

“The rise of the straight ally (and cis ally) has been tremendous and history-changing. For PFLAG, the ally evolution started in 1973, when our founder, Jeanne Manford, publicly identified herself as an ally to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, establishing herself as the mother of the modern-day ally movement. In the time since her brave stand, allies have united with the LGBT community to affect both legal and cultural change, shifting the dialogue about equality from a ‘them’ issue to an ‘us’ issue.”
—Jean-Marie Navetta, Diversity Best Practices, October 2015

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.