alliance

B2 Topic:War & Conflict

US /əˈlaɪ.əns/ See IPA manual

Freq #4492

Meanings

1

noun
An agreement between countries or groups to work together, often for military or political reasons.

The two nations formed a military alliance.
2

noun
A close relationship between people or groups based on shared interests.

The shifting alliances within the large family caused tension.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an agreement between... coalition confederation

2 noun · a close relationship... bond union

Word family

Forms alliances

Derived forms alliancerantialliancecounteralliancemisalliancequasi-alliancerealliancesuballiance

Related forms ally

Etymology

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

alliaunce Middle English aliance Old French alliance French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

War & Conflict

External links

# alliance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈlaɪ.əns/
**Frequency rank:** 4492

## Meanings
1. An agreement between countries or groups to work together, often for military or political reasons.
2. A close relationship between people or groups based on shared interests.

## Examples
- The two nations formed a military alliance.
- The shifting alliances within the large family caused tension.

## Derived Forms
- alliancer
- antialliance
- counteralliance
- misalliance
- quasi-alliance
- realliance
- suballiance

## Related Forms
- ally

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: alliaunce
- Root: aliance
- Root: alliance

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

## AI Etymology
Alliance is from Middle English alliaunce, from Old French aliance (French alliance). Equivalent to ally plus -ance. Compare with Doric Greek ἁλία (halía, “assembly”). The formation is semantically transparent: the parts remain visible, while the compound or affix fixes the grammatical role and narrows the modern meaning. In use as a noun, alliance denotes an agreement between countries or groups to work together, often for military or political reasons and a close relationship between people or groups based on shared interests. The same word family continues in derived forms such as alliancer, antialliance, counteralliance, and misalliance and related entries such as ally.

## Topics
- War & Conflict

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