liaison

noun li·ai·son \ ˈlē-ə-ˌzän , lē-ˈā- , nonstandard ˈlā-ə- \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Examples: liaison in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of liaison

1 : a binding or thickening agent used in cooking

a butter and flour liaison

2 a : a close bond or connection : interrelationship

b : an illicit sexual relationship : affair 3a

3 a : communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force)

b : a person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation

a press liaison

4 : the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause

See liaison defined for English-language learners

See liaison defined for kids

liaison was our Word of the Day on 08/16/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of liaison in a Sentence

Today's army works on rotations; soldiers are deployed for about a year and then (in principle at least) they come home. When that happens, local liaisons and intelligence relationships must be rebuilt. —James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006
I had known Korologos when I was Solicitor General, and he was the Nixon White House's liaison to the Senate. He was a great support. —Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America, 1990
Gossip columnists began to infer from Evelyn's disappearances that she was engaging in reckless liaisons, and her name was linked with dozens of men around town. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
She acts as a liaison between the police department and city schools.
Administrators need to maintain better liaison with employees.
Administrators need to establish a close liaison with employees.
He regretted his liaison with a woman from the office.

Recent Examples of liaison from the Web

And the message that love is the most dangerous liaison of all comes through loud and clear.

— jeffrey gantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Sex as a weapon in Nora’s all-male ‘Liaisons’," 5 June 2018
That last detail added an intriguing element to the liaison.

— larry getlen, Fox News, "Inside JFK's door-to-door search for a French call girl -- and why she had to look like Jackie," 24 May 2018
Mandela’s life begins The liaison between Sheaffer and Scott did not end well.

— Detroit Free Press, "He helped start 1967 Detroit riot, now his son struggles with the legacy," 15 May 2018
The liaison with the Barbershop Harmony Society is Roger Hufferd of Oceanside.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New director at Music Men Chorus," 14 May 2018
That was illustrated well in an article last week in which the White House legislative liaison Marc Short told Trump that Democrats were all but certain to win back the House.

— harry enten, CNN, "The Blankenship 'surge' is why we should be wary of internal data and polls," 9 May 2018
Everyone involved has praised the company liaison who has been visiting the family and who first approached Strauss.

— eric boodman, STAT, "Sign up for our biotech newsletter, The Readout," 8 May 2018
Like many new mothers, after giving birth to her first child, a son named Jacob, Rebecca has trouble getting the hang of breastfeeding, which prompts the services of the hospital liaison from La Leche League, a black woman named Priscilla.

— rebecca carroll, latimes.com, "In 'That Kind of Mother,' Rumaan Alam enters the thorny world of interracial adoption," 3 May 2018
The teen, who told the liaison he had been robbed and beaten at school by other students, was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation.

— christine dempsey, courant.com, "Montville School Administrators Charged In 'Fight Club' Probe," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'liaison.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the term for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like beaux arts sounds like "bo zart." We can thank French for the origin of the term, as well. Liaison derives from the Middle French lier, meaning "to bind or tie," and is related to our word liable. Our various English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds-from people who work to connect different groups to the kind of relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are attracted to one another.

Origin and Etymology of liaison

French, from Middle French, from lier, from Old French

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1648

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

liaison Synonyms

LIAISON Defined for English Language Learners

liaison

noun

Definition of liaison for English Language Learners

: a person who helps organizations or groups to work together and provide information to each other
: a relationship that allows different organizations or groups to work together and provide information to each other
: a secret sexual relationship