alliance


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al·li·ance

 (ə-lī′əns)
n.
1.
a. A close association of nations or other groups, formed to advance common interests or causes: an alliance of labor unions opposing the bill.
b. A formal agreement establishing such an association, especially an international treaty of friendship.
2.
a. A connection based on kinship, marriage, or common interest; a bond or tie: the shifting alliances within a large family.
b. A long-term association of two or more animals of the same species, in which members cooperate for a purpose such as gaining access to mates or defending territory.
3. Close similarity in nature or type; affinity: the ancient alliance between mathematics and music.
4. The act of becoming allied or the condition of being allied: the church, acting in alliance with community groups.

[Middle English, from Old French aliance, from alier, to ally; see ally.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

alliance

(əˈlaɪəns)
n
1. the act of allying or state of being allied; union; confederation
2. a formal agreement or pact, esp a military one, between two or more countries to achieve a particular aim
3. the countries involved in such an agreement
4. a union between families through marriage
5. affinity or correspondence in qualities or characteristics
6. (Botany) botany a taxonomic category consisting of a group of related families; subclass
[C13: from Old French aliance, from alier to ally]

Alliance

(əˈlaɪəns)
(in Britain) n
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy)
a. the Alliance the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party acting or regarded as a political entity from 1981 to 1988
b. (as modifier): an Alliance candidate.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

al•li•ance

(əˈlaɪ əns)

n.
1. the act of allying, or the state of being allied.
2. a formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes.
3. a merging of efforts or interests: an alliance between church and state.
4. the persons or entities so allied.
5. marriage or the family relationship created by marriage.
6. close relationship or correspondence; affinity: the alliance between logic and metaphysics.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French]
syn: alliance, league, confederation, union refer to the joining of states for mutual benefit or for the joint exercise of functions. alliance refers to a combination of states for the promotion of common interests:a trade alliance. league usu. suggests a closer, more formal combination or a more definite purpose: The League of Nations was formed to promote world peace. confederation applies to a fairly permanent combination for the exercise in common of certain governmental functions: a confederation of Canadian provinces. union implies an alliance so close and permanent that the separate states become essentially one:the union of England and Scotland to form Great Britain.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

alliance

An alliance is the result of formal agreements (i.e., treaties) between two or more nations for broad, long-term objectives that further the common interests of the members. See also coalition; multinational.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

Alliance

 a union between families, states, or parties; the persons allied; a combination of common objects; a group of natural orders of plants, e.g., glumal alliance includes grasses and other allied orders.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.alliance - the state of being allied or confederatedalliance - the state of being allied or confederated
coalition, fusion - the state of being combined into one body
2.alliance - a connection based on kinship or marriage or common interestalliance - a connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest; "the shifting alliances within a large family"; "their friendship constitutes a powerful bond between them"
connection, connexion, connectedness - a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it); "there was a connection between eating that pickle and having that nightmare"
silver cord - the emotional bond between a mother and her offspring
3.alliance - an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treatyalliance - an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty
combination - an alliance of people or corporations or countries for a special purpose (formerly to achieve some antisocial end but now for general political or economic purposes)
organization, organisation - a group of people who work together
allies - an alliance of nations joining together to fight a common enemy
bloc, axis - a group of countries in special alliance
Allies - in World War I the alliance of Great Britain and France and Russia and all the other nations that became allied with them in opposing the Central Powers
Central Powers - in World War I the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary and other nations allied with them in opposing the Allies
Allies - the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945
Axis - in World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations; "the Axis opposed the Allies in World War II"
entente, entente cordiale - an informal alliance between countries
popular front - a leftist coalition organized against a common opponent
ally - a friendly nation
Northern Alliance, United Front - a multiethnic alliance in Afghanistan who practice a moderate form of Islam and are united in their opposition to the Taliban
4.alliance - a formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aimalliance - a formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aim
pact, treaty, accord - a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
5.alliance - the act of forming an alliance or confederationalliance - the act of forming an alliance or confederation
group action - action taken by a group of people
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

alliance

noun
2. relationship, association, bond, connection, affinity, rapport, kinship an alliance between philanthropy and medicine
Quotations
"alliance: in international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pocket that they cannot separately plunder a third" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

alliance

noun
1. An association, especially of nations for a common cause:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَـحَالُفحِلْف، تَحَالُف
spojenectví
allianceforbund
allianssiliittoliittoumaliittoutumaliittoutuneet
savezalijansa
bandalag
提携
동맹
spojenectvo
zavezništvo
allians
พันธมิตร
liên minh

alliance

[əˈlaɪəns] Nalianza f
to enter into an alliance withaliarse con
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

alliance

[əˈlaɪəns] nalliance f
military alliance → alliance militaire
strategic alliance → alliance stratégique
to form an alliance → conclure une alliance
an alliance with sb → une alliance avec qn
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

alliance

nVerbindung f; (of institutions also, of states) → Bündnis nt; (in historical contexts) → Allianz f; partners in an allianceBündnispartner pl
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

alliance

[əˈlaɪəns] n (Pol) → alleanza
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ally

(əˈlai) verb
to join by political agreement, marriage, friendship etc. Small countries must ally themselves with larger countries in order to survive.
(ˈӕlai) noun
a state, person etc allied with another. The two countries were allies at that time.
alˈliance noun
the alliance between Britain and France; The three countries entered into an alliance.
ˈallied (ˈӕ-) adjective
1. joined by political agreement or treaty. The allied forces entered the country.
2. (with with) together with; joined to. Her beauty allied with her intelligence made her a successful model.
3. (with to) related to; resembling. The ape is closely allied to man.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

alliance

تَـحَالُف spojenectví alliance Bündnis συμμαχία alianza liittoutuma alliance savez alleanza 提携 동맹 alliantie allianse przymierze aliança союз allians พันธมิตร ittifak liên minh 联盟
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

alliance

n. alianza, unión; acuerdo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
When did the independent states, into which Britain and Spain were formerly divided, combine in such alliance, or unite their forces against a foreign enemy?
"I came to Europe," the Prince continued gravely, "to make a report to my cousin the Emperor of Japan as to whether I believed that a renewal of our alliance with you would be advantageous to my country.
How can you, child, affect to deny that you have considered of contracting an alliance, when you so well know I am acquainted with the party with whom you desire to contract it?--an alliance as unnatural, and contrary to your interest, as a separate league with the French would be to the interest of the Dutch!
"The Berlin cabinet cannot express a feeling of alliance," began Hippolyte gazing round with importance at the others, "without expressing...
All the Powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope and Czar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies.
And here it is to be noted that a prince ought to take care never to make an alliance with one more powerful than himself for the purposes of attacking others, unless necessity compels him, as is said above; because if he conquers you are at his discretion, and princes ought to avoid as much as possible being at the discretion of any one.
The "journal of Astoria," however, which was kept under his own eye, records this union as a high state alliance, and great stroke of policy.
It was this renewal of peace that brought about the alliance between Germany and the United States.
There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.
I am very proud of this alliance. Children love these stories because children have helped to create them.
Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance. .
"A friend!" murmured the Comte de la Fere, at witnessing with stupor this monstrous alliance of words; -- "friends!