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 So did their strong three-person alliance, which through strategic gameplay and season-long dominance ensured at least one of them would have a real shot at winning the game. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 With five out of ten votes on their side (Sharonda, Linnea, Eric, Alexis, and Sharonda’s ally Kristin), the group’s next job is to convince Ori, who Sharonda has a secret alliance with, to vote with them. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 And Putin is now engaging in all kinds of provocations against NATO states, including by floating drones over the alliance’s territory. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 But there is not just one uniform national shortage, the alliance found. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 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
  • Would an invasion of Canada trigger Article 5 of the collective defense treaty requiring all members to come to Canada’s rescue?
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • International treaties and agreements govern the use and proliferation of the inputs used to create biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of treaty
Noun
  • The devastating loss of the coast has opened up the path for a change in the Saudis’ intolerance for dissent within the anti-Houthi coalition, however.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The founding mayors lead cities including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Boise, Tulsa and Memphis -- governing more than 7 million Americans across 11 red and purple states, according to a memo for the new coalition.
    — Isabella Murray, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of coalition
Noun
  • That capability has been central to the partnership since the 2016 GHGSat Pathfinder mission.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • India is trying to balance its ties with Russia against its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western powers.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of partnership
Noun
  • Tony Romo carved out new terrain at CBS Sports after revealing a knack for predicting game play — all but forcing CBS to re-sign the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback to a multi-season pact in 2020 valued at around $17 million a year.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As part of the pact, Sanofi is paying Regeneron $1 billion upfront, with possible milestone payments of up to $7 billion more.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of pact
Noun
  • Seneca said the renaming violated the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, which was signed by President George Washington and the Haudenosaunee confederacy promising perpetual peace and friendship.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • July 4 birthed independence but also a dysfunctional confederacy.
    — Max Taves, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of confederacy
Noun
  • The clash added another layer to a campaign in which el Sayed’s positions on foreign policy and his associations with prominent progressive figures have become points of contention.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The hospitality and hotel sector is one of Europe’s largest employers, with more than 10 million people working across 2 million businesses, according to data from Hotrec, the association of hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafés in Europe.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of association
Noun
  • Human DJs and unions warn that AI could be what kills the radio star at last.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In 2021, Brown pushed through legislation that saved the pensions of millions of union workers from insolvency.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of union
Noun
  • Interiors for the Mexico project are being developed in collaboration with One Atelier, with guidance from Caroline Lebar, creative director of interiors at Karl Lagerfeld.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The latest agreement extends the collaboration beyond inspection, making logistics a formal area of development.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of collaboration

Browse Nearby Words

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 10 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alliance

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