ally

1 of 3

verb

al·​ly ə-ˈlī  ˈa-ˌlī 

allied; allying

transitive verb

: to unite or form a connection or relation between : associate

He allied himself with a wealthy family by marriage.

intransitive verb

: to form or enter into an alliance

two factions allying with each other

ally

2 of 3

noun

al·​ly ˈa-ˌlī  ə-ˈlī 

plural allies

1

: a sovereign or state associated with another by treaty or league

America and its allies

2

: one that is associated with another as a helper : a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle

a political ally

She has proven to be a valuable ally in the fight for better working conditions.

—often now used specifically of a person who is not a member of a marginalized or mistreated group but who expresses or gives support to that group

The storyline on "Glee" captures something larger that we are seeing with a new generation of allies (allies are people who support LGBT rights but aren't LGBT themselves).

—David M. Hall

3

: a plant or animal linked to another by genetic or taxonomic proximity

ferns and their allies

-ally

3 of 3

adverb suffix

: -ly entry 2

terrifically

—in adverbs formed from adjectives in -ic with no alternative form in -ical

Synonyms

Verb

• associate
• band (together)
• club
• coalesce
• cohere
• confederate
• conjoin
• cooperate
• federate
• league
• unite

Noun

• abettor
• abetter
• backer
• bedfellow
• confederate
• fellow traveler
• supporter
• sympathizer

Examples of ally in a Sentence

Verb

There may be occasions when America can ally with some of those states, as we did during the Gulf War. —Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001

Teresa's right to teach, however, would not be vindicated until our time when the late Paul VI named her a doctor of the church. In her own lifetime Teresa had the good sense to ally herself with outstanding supporters such as the observant Franciscan Peter Alcantara and the famous Dominican theologian, Domenico Báñez. —Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonweal, 28 Jan. 2000

The singers ally themselves with a gifted songwriter, and everyone gets some major-label exposure for what just happens to be a splendid album. —Michael Azerrad, Rolling Stone, 13-27 July 1995

Generally, however, psychoanalysts do ally themselves with two positions, the first of which is that dreams are meaningful. —Wynn Schwartz, Dreamtime and Dreamwork, 1990

She's allied herself with the moderates on this issue.

countries allying themselves with the EU

He'll even admit that he's hoping to ally himself to a wealthy family by marriage.

They've allied with their former enemies.

Noun

When the Soviets pulled out in early 1989, the ensuing power vacuum turned former allies into enemies. The Muslim fighters known as mujahideen, who were unified in their struggle against the Soviets, disbanded and fought one another for control of Kabul in a devastating civil war. —Jiffer Bourguignon, Saveur, March 2008

Our allies would need us more than we would need them, so we could count on them to rally to our side in a crunch. —Samantha Power, New York Times Book Review, 29 July 2007

These groups have learned from experience that the media are their most valuable ally. Publicity increases tips that fuel an investigation, and many communities have launched special-alert systems in the past few years to get news of an abduction on the air within minutes. —Andrew Murr, Newsweek, 29 July 2002

fought with the Allies in World War II

She's counting on her allies in the state legislature.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Russian and allied North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year. —Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025

The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), a Darfur militia allied to the national army, has been fighting the RSF around the city of al-Fashir, around 15 km (9.3 miles) from Zamzam, with the help of other local armed groups. —Reuters, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025

Noun

Officials from Ukraine and allies the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany met in London on Thursday in a week when a peace proposal was produced which outlined an Article 5-like agreement which would be backed by Washington. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025

He may more likely be remembered for having broken with decades of foreign policy embraced by Republican and Democratic Presidents, alienating NATO allies, and siding with Russia in its war with Ukraine. —Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English allien, from Anglo-French alier, from Latin alligare to bind to, from ad- + ligare to bind — more at ligature

Adverb suffix

-al entry 1 + -ly

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for ally

• cully
• drily
• dully
• gulley
• gully
• shaly
• tumuli

Kids Definition

ally

1 of 3 verb

al·​ly ə-ˈlī  ˈal-ˌī 

allied; allying

: to form a connection or relation between : unite

especially : to join in an alliance

ally

2 of 3 noun

al·​ly ˈal-ˌī  ə-ˈlī 

plural allies

1

: a plant or animal linked to another by genetic or evolutionary relationship

ferns and their allies

2

a

: one associated or united with another for some common purpose

b

plural capitalized : the Allied nations in World War I or World War II

-ally

3 of 3 adverb suffix

-al·​ly

(ə-)lē

: -ly entry 2

Etymology

Verb

Middle English allien "unite," from early French alier (same meaning), derived from Latin al-, ad- "to" and ligare "to bind" — related to ligament

Adverb suffix

from ¹-al + -ly