ally

Meaning

Verb

1. To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
2. Chiefly followed by to or with: to connect or form a relation to (someone or something) by similarity in features or nature.
3. To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.
4. Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.

Noun

1. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.
2. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.
3. A person, group, state, etc., which is associated or united by treaty with another for a common (especially military or political) purpose; a confederate.
4. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
5. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
6. A person, group, concept, etc., which is associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary; a supporter.
7. (obsolete) A kinsman or kinswoman; a relative.

Noun

1. (obsolete) One's relatives; kin, kindred, relations; also, relationship through descent or marriage; kinship.
2. (obsolete) People, groups, states, etc., which are associated or united with each other for a common purpose; confederates; also, the state of being allied; alliance, confederation.

Noun

Alternative spelling of alley (“a glass marble or taw”)

Synonyms

associate

friend

confederate

alliance

companion

allied

unite

assistant

supporter

comrade

partnership

syndicate

join with

connect

coalition

association

fellow

partner

fan

follower

helper

hook up

interlock

join

knot

🪢

league

league together

leash

link

🔗

log-on

marble

member

pal

span

splice

tie

work together

be connected

close friend

close relative

tie in with

allied powers

witness for

succourer

acquaintance

unite by marriage

adherent

aggie

attach

band together

bind

brace

buddy

cling

clip

cobelligerent

cohort

collaborator

confederative

conjoin

consort

cooperate

deputy

Hyphenated as

al‧ly

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈælaɪ/

Etymology

From Middle English allien, alien (“to form an alliance, associate, join; to become an ally; to introduce (someone) as an ally; to marry; to become related (to someone); to attack, engage in combat; to combine; (cooking) to combine ingredients, especially to bind them together”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier [and other forms], and Old French alier (“to join together, unite; to alloy (metals); (cooking) to combine ingredients”) (modern French allier), from Latin alligāre, the present active infinitive of alligō, adligō (“to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie; to hold fast; to detain, hinder”), from al-, ad- (intensifying prefix) + ligō (“to bind, tie; to bandage, wrap around; to unite”) (from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind, tie”)). Doublet of allay, alligate, alloy, and ligament.