liaison

A liaison is a person who acts to arrange and assist interaction between parties. A close synonym is intermediary. A more informal synonym is go-between.

It can also refer to communication, interaction, or a meeting between such parties.

The verb liaise comes from liaison and typically means to act as a liaison by doing such arranging, assisting, and communicating.

But liaison is also used in several other, more specific contexts.

In the context of the military, liaison refers to the contact or connection maintained by communications between units in order to ensure concerted action—or the person who maintains this contact.

In cooking (especially classical French cooking), it can be used as a technical term for the process of thickening sauces, soups, and other dishes, such as by adding eggs, cream, butter, or flour.

Liaison is also a somewhat formal term for a secretive sexual relationship, especially one in which at least one of the partners is cheating on their spouse. A much more common word for this is affair.

Example: In my work as an interdepartmental liaison, I’ve learned that communication and trust are keys to success.

The first records of the word liaison in English come from the 1600s. It derives from the Latin ligātiōn-, meaning “a binding,” from the Latin verb ligāre, “to tie” or “to bind.” (The verb liaise is a back formation of liaison, meaning liaison came first and was altered to form liaise.)

The word liaison was first used in English in the context of cooking to refer to the thickening of sauces and similar things. Such thickeners, such as egg yolks, are sometimes referred to as binding agents. And in the context of communication between parties, that’s what a liaison acts as—an agent who binds the two parties together in a way that allows for successful communication and interaction. Such liaisons often serve as the go-between for different departments, agencies, or organizations.

This type of facilitation is crucial during military operations, when miscommunication or contradictory orders can have deadly consequences. (In fact, the verb liaise originated as military slang.)

What are some other forms related to liaison?

• liaise (verb)

What are some synonyms for liaison?

• intermediary
• go-between
• affair

What are some words that share a root or word elements with liaison? 

• liaison officer
• ligament
• ligature
• league
• religion

What are some words that often get used in discussing liaison?

• between
• interdepartmental
• officer
• communication
• meeting
• parties
• groups
• facilitator
• military
• thicken

Liaison is somewhat formal. It is used in several different contexts.

The care coordinators in this program recognize it's unrealistic to expect students who miss weeks of school for mental health reasons to make up all the missed classwork.

So they act as a liaison between student and teacher — ironing out a make-up plan. https://t.co/Q2ka6lc4cR

— NPR (@NPR) February 17, 2020

What it's like to work as a liaison between those without Internet access and places that offer it https://t.co/ObKTppp6iP

— Pacific Standard (@PacificStand) April 18, 2016

NEW: South Korea's Unification Ministry confirms that North Korea has blown up the inter-Korean liaison office, which had served as a de facto embassy between the two Koreas.

— William Gallo (@GalloVOA) June 16, 2020

Is liaison used correctly in the following sentence?

We need to arrange a liaison between all parties to start discussion.