alliance

See also: Alliance

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English alliaunce, from Old French aliance (French alliance). Equivalent to ally + -ance. Compare with Doric Greek ἁλία (halía, assembly).

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /əˈlaɪ.əns/
  • Rhymes: -aɪəns
  • (file)

Noun

alliance (countable and uncountable, plural alliances)

  1. (uncountable) The state of being allied.
    matrimonial alliances
    an alliance between church and state, or between two countries
  2. (countable) The act of allying or uniting.
  3. (countable) A union or connection of interests between families, states, parties, etc., especially between families by marriage and states by compact, treaty, or league.
  4. (countable) Any union resembling that of families or states; union by relationship in qualities; affinity.
    • 1624, William Udall, The Historie of the Life and Death of Mary Stuart Queene of Scotland:
      And as for kindred , there is no Alliance neerer vnto any one, than their Countrey , that is to be vnto vs another God, and our prime and deareſt Parent.
    • 1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
      the alliance of the principles of the world with those of the gospel
    • 1860, Henry Longueville Mansel, Prolegomena Logica: An Inquiry Into the Psychological Character of Logical Processes:
      the alliance [] between logic and metaphysics
  5. (with the definite article) The persons or parties allied.
  6. (India) Marriage.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

alliance (third-person singular simple present alliances, present participle alliancing, simple past and past participle allianced)

  1. (obsolete) To connect or unite by alliance; to ally.

Further reading

Anagrams

Danish

Noun

alliance c (singular definite alliancen, plural indefinite alliancer)

  1. an alliance

Declension

Further reading

French

Etymology

From allier + -ance.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.ljɑ̃s/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑ̃s

Noun

alliance f (plural alliances)

  1. alliance, union
  2. wedding ring

Descendants

  • Polish: alians
  • Portuguese: aliança
  • Russian: алья́нс (alʹjáns), алья́нсъ (alʹjáns)
  • Turkish: alyans

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

alliance

  1. Alternative form of alliaunce
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