ally
verb (used with object)
to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like (usually followed by with orto ).
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Which country did Germany attempt to ally with against the United States during World War I?
ally
1 American
[uh-lahy, al-ahy, uh-lahy]
/ əˈlaɪ, ˈæl aɪ, əˈlaɪ /
verb (used with object)
-
allies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allied,
past participle, past
-
allying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
allies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allied,
past participle, past
-
allying
present participle
noun
-
allies
plural
-
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
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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?
-ally
2
American
ally
British
verb
-
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
noun
-
a country, person, or group allied with another
-
a plant, animal, substance, etc, closely related to another in characteristics or form
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allysimple
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alliessimple
-
have alliedperfect
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has alliedperfect
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am allyingprogressive
-
are allyingprogressive
-
is allyingprogressive
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have been allyingperfect progressive
-
has been allyingperfect progressive
Past
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alliedsimple
-
had alliedperfect
-
was allyingprogressive
-
were allyingprogressive
-
had been allyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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”; see alloy
Origin of -ally2
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ally
American History I
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The unannounced trip sends a strong signal to his oil-rich Saudi ally as Riyadh comes under near-daily attack.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
James Acaster, her reluctant fellow traitor, was also happy with their choice of ally.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
He is a longtime surrogate and ally, so it isn’t entirely surprising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
She endorsed Bass, an ally, for reelection and then abruptly and surprisingly announced that she was running against her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
“His friends all noticed it,” said Joseph Medill, once an ally but later Harrison’s most ardent opponent, “they would laugh or smile about it, and called it ‘Carter Harrisonia.’”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
US allies criticised the move, anxious that it could help Russia in its war effort.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
He called on allies to pressure Moscow to "stop this."
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
The head of MI5 has painted a sobering picture of a range of threats now facing Britain and European allies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Ukraine’s European allies provide satellite and other airborne intelligence, but it lacks the precision, scope and capabilities of that coming from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
By 1426 CE, they and their allies had overthrown the Tepanecs, and they soon moved to bring all the peoples of Mexico under their authority.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The message from 1809 -- detailing French and allied troops' positions in two dozen lines of symbols, numbers and letters -- had lain ignored in an online academic archive.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It’s important to say that these are collaborations. In and of myself, I’m probably going to fail, but allied with talented people I have a better chance,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The fighting around Lalibela has involved the army and an Amhara militia that has allied with Tigrayan fighters.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Let us hope that U.S. and allied military and intelligence agencies are thinking through the next steps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
It still belonged to Indigenous nations, many of which had allied with the British in order to protect their homelands from land-hungry Americans.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The Indian National Congress leader Subhas Chandra Bose was convinced that allying with Japan offered India its best chance at ending British rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
It would need support from another party or more to form a ruling legislative coalition, but so far, others have balked at allying with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024
But I didn’t want to hear any of it, and the wind, allying itself with me, threatened the chinaberry tree outside the back door.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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