coalition

American  

[koh-uh-lish-uhn] / ˌkoʊ əˈlɪʃ ən /

noun

• coalitions
  plural

1. a combination or alliance, especially a temporary one between persons, factions, states, etc.

   Synonyms:

   league, partnership

2. a union into one body or mass; fusion.

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coalition British  

/ ˌkəʊəˈlɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. an alliance or union between groups, factions, or parties, esp for some temporary and specific reason

   2. ( as modifier )

      a coalition government

2. a fusion or merging into one body or mass

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coalition Cultural  

1. An alliance of political groups formed to oppose a common foe or pursue a common goal.

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Discover More

In countries with many political parties, none of which can get a majority of the citizens' votes, the only way an effective government can be formed is by a coalition of parties. Such coalitions are often unstable.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coalitioner
  noun
• coalitionist
  noun
• coalitional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• coalitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coalition

1605–15; < Latin coalitiōn- (stem of coalitiō ), equivalent to coalit ( us ), past participle of coalēscere ( co- co- + ali-, past participle stem of alere to nourish + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion; see coalesce

Explanation

A coalition is a group of people who join together for a common cause, like a coalition you form with other skateboarders who want to convince your town to build a skate park. The noun coalition comes from the Latin word coalitiō, meaning "to grow together." Often, the people and groups that form coalitions have different backgrounds but come together because they share a goal. For example, parents, teachers, business owners, and city council members might form a coalition to build a teen center, just as nations that do not agree on all issues might form a coalition because they all want peace.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coalition coalitions

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has been named the leader of a new rebel coalition seeking to oust the government.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

But the minority coalition failed to pass the measures in parliament, prompting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to call the early vote on Monday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

At least his coalition partners now have drawn the line somewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The chamber is a tech-industry coalition whose corporate partners include OpenAI and other major players in AI.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

The Liberals may try to form a Sonia said that the Liberals might try coalition government. to form a coalition government.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Flavio Bolsonaro has focused on building coalitions and doubled down on his plans to shrink the state and modernize the tax system.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

The Rev. Patricia Coleman-Burns, a University of Michigan professor emerita who grew up in Detroit and has watched the region’s racial and political coalitions shift for more than 70 years, was a die-hard Stevens supporter.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

The Federal Trade Commission has recently flagged advertiser coalitions for colluding to set “brand safety” standards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

They defended the status quo against various liberation movements and labor coalitions, fighting to keep everything as it had always been in service of the people who most benefited from the old arrangement.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Civil rights groups have also developed litigation and important coalitions related to the school-to-prison pipeline, inadequate indigent defense, and juvenile justice reform, to name a few.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander