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

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which backs the country's internationally-recognised government, said its air defences "dealt with" the missiles and no casualties were reported.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

For more than a decade, aircraft entering Yemeni airspace have needed prior clearance from the Saudi-led coalition that backs the government and says it enforces the restriction at its request.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

The Quaker-inspired coalition also founded New York’s Strother School of Radical Attention, which offers courses and workshops on attention as a practice that, maintained and exerted, makes it easier to recognize and refuse such extraction.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

Under the Obama administration, an international coalition targeting the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi during the country’s 2011 civil war struck his fleeing convoy, leading to his capture and killing by rebel fighters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Pride at Work, a national coalition of gay, bisexual, and transgender workers, becomes an AFL-CIO constituency.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

This year the chief justice prevailed with different coalitions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Similar business-backed coalitions are financing cultural-preservation programs, such as Carlos Molina’s Salsa Museum in the Workers Barrio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Local coalitions of neighbors are springing up in the most rural towns and counties as quiet, nature-filled lands are being replaced with loud, energy intensive data centers.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

That, Joshi argues, is why welfare can no longer be viewed in isolation from the broader political coalitions parties assemble around it.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

These coalitions play a central part not only during overt struggles for the alpha position, but in almost all day-to-day activities.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari