alliance
/əˈlaɪəns/ (bre, ipa) · [əlˈaɪəns] /əˈlaɪəns/ (ame, ipa) · [əlˈaɪəns] /ə-ˈlī-ən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
alliance — noun
- alliancesingular
- alliancesplural
1. countries, organizations, or groups of people who join forces to pursue shared g
countries, organizations, or groups of people who join forces to pursue shared goals and protect common interests
Nadia's aid group formed an alliance with three local charities to deliver food after the floods.
collocation: form an alliance with
The military alliance between Japan and Australia grew stronger after the joint naval exercise.
collocation: military alliance
Kenji believed the student alliance could push the university to lower its fees.
Several tech companies created an alliance to set new safety standards for artificial intelligence.
The alliance of small island nations spoke with one voice at the climate talks in Geneva.
- coalition
more temporary and issue-specific; often formed for a single election or campaign
- bloc
usually a group of countries or parties that vote or act together in international bodies
- confederation
a looser, more formal union where members keep significant independence
- rivalry
competition rather than cooperation between groups
- opposition
working against rather than alongside
用法筆記
Subject is usually a collective entity — a nation, party, or organization — not an individual person acting alone.
2. a formal agreement or promise between two or more parties to cooperate and suppo
a formal agreement or promise between two or more parties to cooperate and support each other, especially in politics or war
Fatima signed an alliance with the neighbouring kingdom to protect the trade route across the desert.
collocation: sign an alliance with
The two opposition leaders announced their alliance at a press conference on the steps of the old parliament.
collocation: announce an alliance
Diego's grandfather still remembered the alliance that ended fifty years of fighting between the two villages.
Without a formal alliance, neither side could be sure the other would send troops in a crisis.
The alliance between the steelworkers and the teachers surprised everyone at the bargaining table.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (UNITED GROUP): this sense refers to the formal agreement itself, not the group created by it. You can sign, announce, or break an alliance in this meaning.
常見錯誤
3. a close connection or tie between people, families, or groups based on marriage,
a close connection or tie between people, families, or groups based on marriage, friendship, or shared interests
The old alliance between the Mendoza family and the Okafor family went back four generations.
collocation: old alliance
Ingrid felt a quiet alliance with the new girl at the workshop, even before they exchanged a word.
The alliance forged through their years in the refugee camp held strong long after they resettled in different cities.
Kwame's grandmother spoke of the marriage alliance that had once united the two coastal clans.
A shared love of old jazz records created an unlikely alliance between the retired professor and the teenage drummer.
- bond
more personal and emotional; lacks the strategic or formal overtones of alliance
- tie
broader term; can refer to any connection, including family or professional
- affiliation
more institutional; often refers to membership in an organization
- estrangement
the loss of a close connection or relationship
- separation
the state of being apart rather than connected
用法筆記
Often used in historical or literary contexts for bonds formed through marriage, kinship, or deep shared experience. Less common in everyday speech than senses 1 and 2.