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 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 Winfrey will be presented with the Vanguard Award for championing allyship and making a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues. Marc Malkin, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Women in tech are tired of being overlooked in favor of allyship theater. Allyson Kapin, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 When asked about his perspective on the partnership and its effectiveness thus far, Mitchell highlighted the longstanding allyship between the U.S. and the Caribbean and expressed gratitude for the initiatives. Melissa Noel, Essence, 2 Nov. 2023 In Los Angeles, Afro Salvadorans can find allyship within other Afro-Latinx communities, Funes explains. Ingrid Cruz, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023 Fey reveals her own disingenuousness, making a travesty of Cady and Regina’s insincerity regarding, respectively, allyship and jealousy. Armond White, National Review, 17 Jan. 2024 As Gen Z, the most racially diverse generation enters the workforce, the fake allyship that’s been used to bury DEI issues is highly problematic. Allyson Kapin, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 Michelle points to awareness and the celebration of diversity as a tool to that has helped catalyze allyship among CAR members. Ahmmad Brown, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023

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 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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