liaison

noun

li·​ai·​son lē-ˈā-ˌzän  ˈlē-ə-ˌzän 

nonstandard

ˈlā-ə- 

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 sense 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

Did you know?

If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the word 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 \boh zahr\. We can thank French for the origin of the term, as well. Liaison comes from Middle French lier, meaning "to bind or tie." Other 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.

Synonyms

• affinity
• association
• bearing
• connection
• kinship
• linkage
• relation
• relationship

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 on the Web

With both their partners gone, Catherine and Jonathan embarked on some sort of liaison, although what exactly happened with them remains a mystery. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2024

Winnie Greco, the city’s director of Asian Affairs, resigned Monday after more than a decade working closely with Adams as a liaison between him, in his different capacities, and the Asian American community. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024

In response to Friday and Saturday's events, Navajo President Buu Nygren announced that the Navajo Police Department will assign an officer from each district to serve as a school liaison for all schools on the Navajo Nation, a move that will further strain an already understaffed department. —Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024

The story focuses on Ada Westbrook, an elderly Ian Fleming (James Bond) type author who gets the call to act as a liaison between our government and enemy powers. —Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

liaison

noun

li·​ai·​son ˈlē-ə-ˌzän  lē-ˈā- 

1

: a close connection

2

: communication especially between parts of an armed force

3

: a person who sets up or keeps up liaison