allyship

noun

al·​ly·​ship ˈa-ˌlī-ˌship How to pronounce allyship (audio)
ə-ˈlī-
: the state or condition of being an ally : supportive association with another person or group
The rest of the third season of House of Cards details a fumbled allyship between the Russian president and President Frank Underwood.R. A. Farley
specifically : such association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong
The actress also shared how her allyship with the LGBT community played a part in her interest in playing Shelly Pfefferman in "Transparent." Mariah Cooper
Poor allyship is speaking over marginalized people by taking credit and receiving recognition for arguments that the unprivileged have been making for their entire lives. Hallie Sebastian
… there are even more brands this year who've created timely, Pride-themed products and initiatives that help you celebrate and show your support through glitter-packed campaigns and social-media rallies, and, most importantly, turn your product purchase into an act of allyship. Samatha Sasso

Examples of allyship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Among those honored during the award ceremony was actress and producer Jennifer Hudson, 42, who received GLAAD's Excellence in Media Award for her work promoting allyship and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and issues. Tabitha Parent, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024 The Republican Jewish Coalition has shelled out $1 million to attack former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, who has long opposed the U.S. allyship with Israel. Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024 Despite the positive potential of allyship, allies are often not accepted by a social movement’s key actors. Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024 In fact, allyship can be essential to the success of social movements. Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024 Itamar’s asking some of the biggest, thorniest questions about politics, activism, allyship, and identity. Rhoda Feng, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2024 Through strategic investment, employee engagement and meaningful allyship, business leaders can make significant headway in engaging this critically important talent stakeholder group. Chris Moore, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 The lifelong Democrat said Biden’s allyship with Israel and refusal to call for a cease-fire will be one of the reasons Biden loses their vote in the general election. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Up to this point, allyship is one area of DEI that hasn’t, and hopefully won’t, face backlash. Teresa Hopke, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allyship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of allyship was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near allyship

Cite this Entry

“Allyship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allyship. Accessed 20 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!