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alliance

alliance

832 4.0
A formal agreement between countries or groups to work together
  • noun
  • /əˈlaɪəns/
translation icon : alianza
  • The two countries formed a mutual alliance to strengthen their economic ties.
  • strategic alliance
  • strengthen alliances
  • therapeutic alliance

And you know, there alliances can, can be awkward, right?

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Examples

  • The Pollard affair was a serious blow to the U.S.-Israel alliance, but not a lasting one.

    Academic text (2011)
  • "Germany signs military and political alliance with Italy."

  • Do you want to form an alliance with me?

  • You know how I got so strong through my alliance because of you.

  • The international alliance is strong and Ukraine is strong.

  • Both France and Russia are outside of the Triple Alliance, which you already know.

  • Two months ago, when Steve introduced me to Marcia, I had formed an alliance with her.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • If one country got too strong, he rallied an alliance against it.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Napoleon renews the French alliance with Spain.

  • He had humbled Austria and Prussia and sealed an alliance with Russia.

Synonyms

coalition
vsalliance
525 4.3

A group of people or organizations that join together to work for the same goal

is a formal union emphasizing an official agreement rather than ad hoc joining
partnership
vsalliance
214 2.7

A relationship where people or groups work together to reach a shared goal

is broader, can mean a formal union beyond shared task or responsibility
association
vsalliance
188 2.8

A group of people who share a common purpose or interest

is a formal cooperative agreement for working together, not only shared interest
pact
vsalliance
  • Formal
148 3.4

An agreement between two or more countries to work together

is broader and covers formal agreements among organizations or people
accord
vsalliance
  • Formal
64 6.0

An official written agreement between countries

is more general, covering formal unions between groups, organizations, or people
consortium
vsalliance
62 6.7

A group of companies or organizations that work together on a project

is a general formal agreement across various fields, not only business projects
combination
vsalliance
43 3.4

A group of people or organizations that join to reach a common goal

is specifically a formal union or agreement for ongoing cooperation, not just grouping
confederation
vsalliance
32 6.0

A group of independent countries or organizations that join for a common purpose

is a formal agreement aiming for joint action rather than preserving separate independence
alignment
vsalliance
13 4.6

A group of countries that agree to work together for political or military reasons

is about formal cooperation for any shared benefit, not only politics
allies
vsalliance
4 3.0

Countries or groups that join together to fight a common enemy

is wider, covering cooperation for any shared benefit, not just military aims
entente
vsalliance
1 8.9

An informal agreement between countries to work together

is formal and official, emphasizing a written or binding agreement rather than informality

Antonyms

397 2.3

A serious disagreement between people or groups over ideas

268 1.6

A situation when people do not have the same opinion

138 4.2

A strong disagreement that separates people in a group

Compounds

A group of leaders and fighters in northern Afghanistan who united to fight the Taliban

A European war from 1689 to 1697 when France fought a group of other countries

How Strong

union
255 3.7
federation
74 4.3
alliance
832 4.0
coalition
525 4.3
agreement
  • Formal
1.4
understanding
203 3.7

Surface Forms

alliance singular
alliances plural

Morphology

alliance = ally (transparent) = ally + ance

The noun is a regular suffixal formation from 'ally', and its meaning as a formal union or partnership is straightforwardly derived.

Etymology

The word alliance comes from Latin words ad- 'to' and ligare 'to bind', and is related to the simple English word 'ally'. So an alliance is a 'binding' or formal tie between people, groups, or countries who agree to work together.