ALLIANCE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does alliance mean? 

• ALLIANCE (noun)
  The noun ALLIANCE has 5 senses:

1. the state of being allied or confederated

2. a connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest

3. an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty

4. a formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aim

5. the act of forming an alliance or confederation

  Familiarity information: ALLIANCE used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALLIANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of being allied or confederated

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

alliance; confederation

Hypernyms ("alliance" is a kind of...):

coalition; fusion (the state of being combined into one body)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

alliance; bond

Context example:

their friendship constitutes a powerful bond between them

Hypernyms ("alliance" is a kind of...):

connectedness; connection; connexion (a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alliance"):

silver cord (the emotional bond between a mother and her offspring)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

alignment; alinement; alliance; coalition

Hypernyms ("alliance" is a kind of...):

organisation; organization (a group of people who work together)

Meronyms (members of "alliance"):

ally (a friendly nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alliance"):

combination (an alliance of people or corporations or countries for a special purpose (formerly to achieve some antisocial end but now for general political or economic purposes))

allies (an alliance of nations joining together to fight a common enemy)

axis; bloc (a group of countries in special alliance)

Allies (in World War I the alliance of Great Britain and France and Russia and all the other nations that became allied with them in opposing the Central Powers)

Central Powers (in World War I the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary and other nations allied with them in opposing the Allies)

Allies (the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945)

Axis (in World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations)

entente; entente cordiale (an informal alliance between countries)

popular front (a leftist coalition organized against a common opponent)

global organization; international organisation; international organization; world organisation; world organization (an international alliance involving many different countries)

Northern Alliance; United Front (a multiethnic alliance in Afghanistan who practice a moderate form of Islam and are united in their opposition to the Taliban)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aim

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("alliance" is a kind of...):

accord; pact; treaty (a written agreement between two states or sovereigns)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The act of forming an alliance or confederation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

alliance; confederation

Hypernyms ("alliance" is a kind of...):

group action (action taken by a group of people)

Derivation:

ally (become an ally or associate, as by a treaty or marriage)

 Context examples 

You may be ready to forge a formal alliance, but think deeply about this before moving ahead.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

You know, said she, I cannot think him at all a fit match for Henrietta; and considering the alliances which the Musgroves have made, she has no right to throw herself away.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

She often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest, by talking of their supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in such an alliance.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

There is a strict alliance between the Japanese emperor and the king of Luggnagg; which affords frequent opportunities of sailing from one island to the other.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

We must stand together, without appearing to do so, in secret alliance.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Its reception into the Union was a precedent which may have far-reaching effects hereafter, when the Pole and the Tropics may hold alliance to the Stars and Stripes.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was an alliance which he could not have relinquished without pain; and thus he reasoned.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

This is an alliance which, whoever—whatever your friends may be, must be agreeable to them, provided at least they have common sense; and we are not to be addressing our conduct to fools.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

An alliance of U.S., European and Guatemalan archaeologists worked with Guatemala's Mayan Heritage and Nature Foundation on the project over the past two years.

(Hidden Mayan Civilization Revealed in Guatemala Jungle, VOA)

An alliance of 19 leading US cancer centers, an authoritative source of information to help patients and health professionals make informed decisions about cancer care.

(National Comprehensive Cancer Network, NCI Thesaurus)