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• Allies
  Allies

  plural noun

  (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.
• allies
  allies

  noun

  the plural of ally

Allies

American  

[al-ahyz, uh-lahyz] / ˈæl aɪz, əˈlaɪz /

plural noun

1. (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.

2. the 26 nations that fought against the Axis in World War II and, with subsequent additions, signed the charter of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.

3. the member nations of NATO.

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Allies ¹ British  

/ ˈælaɪz /

plural noun

1. (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Britain) together with the nations allied with them

2. (in World War II) the countries that fought against the Axis. The main Allied powers were Britain and the Commonwealth countries, the US, the Soviet Union, France, China, and Poland See also Axis

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allies ² British  

/ ˈælaɪz /

noun

1. the plural of ally

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Allies Cultural  

1. The victorious allied nations of World War I and World War II. In World War I, the Allies included Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and the United States. In World War II, the Allies included Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

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Etymology

Origin of Allies

Plural of ally

Compare meaning

How does allies compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Allies vs. Central Powers

Explanation

In war, allies are friends — specifically, friendly nations — you can trust. Allies are on your side. The main meaning of this word comes from war. Without allies, a country is going to be all alone in a war. Like many other words of war, this term spread beyond the battlefield. A politician trying to pass a law is going to need allies, probably in both political parties. Any time there's a disagreement or conflict, it helps to have allies: if you don't, you're all alone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Allies allies

During World War II, the Allies attacked Germany’s synthetic-fuel plants, refineries, aircraft factories, rail networks and transportation system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

In World War I, the company became a major source of smokeless powder and explosives for the Allies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

"Historically this was overly reliant on the US. Now the US has adjusted its pledged contributions -- and other Allies have stepped up to contribute more," Rutte said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Allies were asking when the UK government's words would be matched by actions, as was the defence industry.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Massive quantities of weapons and other military equipment, including most of the German navy and all German submarines, were to be handed over to the Allies.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

“It really smacks, particularly to our allies, as just a pretext,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

He said Modi had called for a "foolproof system" to prevent irregularities in the future at a closed-door meeting with his allies on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Owens and her allies argue that Kirk was not killed by a lone 23-year-old, instead claiming, dubiously, that evidence points to a broader conspiracy.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

There were tears from some of Sir Keir's closest allies, with the outgoing PM thanking his staff who he said had been "prepared to walk through fire for me".

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

It was not enough for him to have made the Church powerful and to have alienated his allies, for since he coveted the Kingdom of Naples, he divided it with the King of Spain.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• friend
• partner