alliance

noun

ə-ˈlī-ən(t)s How to pronounce alliance (audio)
Definition of alliancenext
1
as in treaty
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples the smaller countries signed an alliance pledging to protect one another against the belligerent behemoth in their midst

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2
as in coalition
an association of persons, parties, or states for mutual assistance and protection an alliance between the French and the Algonquians to check Iroquois advances into their territory

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3
as in partnership
the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters) in alliance with booksellers, the nation's schools are promoting National Reading Month

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alliance When a deadly family feud erupts, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Mallory (Crystle Stewart). — Malik Davis, VIBE.com, 24 July 2026 Season two is set to introduce dangerous new threats, complicated alliances and an array of bizarre missions. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026 Altana recently expanded its partnership with Maersk with the launch of a digital product passport for goods moving within the ocean carrier’s Gemini Cooperation shipping alliance with Hapag-Lloyd. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 July 2026 That standing allows the Secretary General to hold his own with NATO’s national leaders and with the alliance’s military commanders—the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the Chair of the NATO Military Committee. — Mark Webber, Time, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for alliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alliance
  1. treaty
  2. coalition
  3. partnership
  4. pact
  5. confederacy
  6. association
  7. union
  8. collaboration
Noun
  • The physical border fence between the southern tip of Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar was removed earlier this month, under a historic treaty between the EU and the UK.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The carve-out was troubling but also sort of moot, because the treaty had no meaningful enforcement mechanism.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of treaty
Noun
  • The coalition now spans chipmakers, cloud providers, security vendors, application companies and the venture firms behind them.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Two years ago, a broad bipartisan coalition in the House approved the Social Security Fairness Act.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of coalition
Noun
  • Earlier this year, the club announced a new global partnership with American fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Club names Eli Lilly and Nvidia also have a partnership for AI drug discovery.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 July 2026
Definition of partnership
Noun
  • After selecting Braden Smith 38th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Pacers agreed to bring him in on a two-way deal, then the team signed Kobe Brown to a two-way pact early in the free agency period.
    — Tony East, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The pact will see ZDF’s on-demand content integrated into ProSieben’s streaming service, Joyn, from the fourth quarter of this year.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of pact
Noun
  • July 4 birthed independence but also a dysfunctional confederacy.
    — Max Taves, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
  • The headstone, a memorial to texans who served the confederacy, was erected in 1964, which is to say the state missed the hundred-year anniversary of the battle itself but did remember to put it up in the year that Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of confederacy
Noun
  • When that proved unsustainable, the association hired a landscaping company.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • On July 14, council member Meredith Stead pointed to two neighborhood associations in her district — one in favor of the designation, the other strongly opposed.
    — Mark Dee July 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026
Definition of association
Noun
  • His top priorities include driving economic growth, creating well-paying jobs, and expanding opportunities for both union and non-union workers.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • The union’s increasing involvement in the city’s politics has given pause to some in the business community.
    — DJ Simmons July 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
Definition of union
Noun
  • These innovations signal a shift from robotic spectacle to practical, everyday applications, emphasizing collaboration, accessibility, and human-robot comfort as robots integrate into our lives.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
  • Industry analysts note that the collaboration with Anduril also enables Archer to leverage a common aircraft platform across both defense and commercial sectors, potentially reducing development costs while increasing production scale.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of collaboration

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alleyways
alliance
alliances
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Cite this Entry

“Alliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alliance. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alliance

Nglish: Translation of alliance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alliance

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