liaison

noun

li·​ai·​son lē-ˈā-ˌzän  ˈlē-ə-ˌzän 

nonstandard

ˈlā-ə- 

1

: a binding or thickening agent used in cooking

a butter and flour liaison

2

a

: a close bond or connection : interrelationship

b

: an illicit sexual relationship : affair sense 3a

3

a

: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force)

b

: a person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation

a press liaison

4

: the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause

Did you know?

If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the word for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like beaux arts sounds like \boh zahr\. We can thank French for the origin of the term liaison, as well. It comes from Middle French lier, meaning “to bind or tie.” Other English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds—from binding and thickening agents used in cooking (as in “a butter and flour liaison”), to people who work to connect different groups, to the kind of secret relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are romantically attracted to one another.

Synonyms

• affinity
• association
• bearing
• connection
• kinship
• linkage
• relation
• relationship

Examples of liaison in a Sentence

Today's army works on rotations; soldiers are deployed for about a year and then (in principle at least) they come home. When that happens, local liaisons and intelligence relationships must be rebuilt. —James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006

I had known Korologos when I was Solicitor General, and he was the Nixon White House's liaison to the Senate. He was a great support. —Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America, 1990

Gossip columnists began to infer from Evelyn's disappearances that she was engaging in reckless liaisons, and her name was linked with dozens of men around town. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975

She acts as a liaison between the police department and city schools.

Administrators need to establish a close liaison with employees.

He regretted his liaison with a woman from the office.

Recent Examples on the Web

They have been implicated in countless crimes and liaisons. —Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

For the past decade, Holloman has served as a liaison between adopters in Europe and families in the U.S. —Blane Bachelor, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 May 2025

Prior to being confirmed to lead the Labor Department, Herman worked in the Clinton administration as the public liaison. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 26 Apr. 2025

Phil Hegseth: The defense secretary's brother works at the Pentagon as a senior adviser to Hegseth and is a liaison between the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from lier, from Old French

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for liaison

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

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Kids Definition

liaison

noun

li·​ai·​son ˈlē-ə-ˌzän  lē-ˈā- 

1

: a close connection

2

: communication especially between parts of an armed force

3

: a person who sets up or keeps up liaison