ally

1 of 3

verb

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

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

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
But Russia, which was once closely allied with Armenia, has become increasingly friendly with Azerbaijan, essentially standing by as Azerbaijan took over full control of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been under the control of Armenian separatists for more than three decades. Ivan Nechepurenko Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Oil tanker transits to fall The Houthis have launched more than 45 missile and drone attacks against commercial as well as US and allied naval vessels operating in the Red Sea, according to US and other Western officials. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The previous legislation had an outright ban on anyone 15 and younger, which upset parental rights advocates allied with DeSantis. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Powell and Wood were among a group of lawyers allied with former President Donald Trump who pushed unfounded claims about the 2020 election in courts in key battleground states. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2024 Two races — District 1 and District 3 — feature direct, high-cost face-offs between those who ally with charter schools and those who side with the teachers union. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The daimyo likely confiscated the vessel’s munitions for use in his ongoing quest to gain control of Japan, which culminated in a clash with Mitsunari and other feudal lords allied with the heir at the October 1600 Battle of Sekigahara. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 The army effort in Omdurman was also boosted by the arrival of Darfuri rebel groups that once fought Sudan’s army but now are allied with the force in fighting against the R.S.F., their mutual enemy. Declan Walsh, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration is seeking to demonstrate its unwavering support for Ukraine, even though Republican lawmakers allied with former President Donald Trump are blocking vital additional U.S. military aid. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
In August 2023, a Fulton County grand jury charged Trump and 18 of his allies in a sprawling 98-page indictment with racketeering and a dozen other felonies. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Their brutality triggered horrific reprisals by Republican forces and their allies, who executed thousands, often targeting Catholic clergy. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Trump and some of his allies in the state Legislature have sought to cast doubt on the validity of Milwaukee's vote in 2020, including based on a similar grant the city and other Wisconsin communities received to help with elections in the coronavirus pandemic. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 The Trump campaign and its allies have sought to seize on Harris’ unpopularity and concerns about her ability to serve as president. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 While companies that manufacture wildly popular anti-obesity medications and their allies haven’t been successful in lobbying Congress to change the law, the Food and Drug Administration’s move could give doctors an avenue to prescribe the medications to some Medicare patients. Rachel Cohrs, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024 The ambassador detailed a catalog of complaints of the ways in which Hungary had not lived up to its obligations as an ally. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 In July 2023, near the peak of animosity between scribes and studios during the writers strike, a picket outside ABC’s The View in New York welcomed an ally: Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile expensive air defense systems from Western allies have been crucial to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself from attacks by Russian missiles and drones. Brad Lendon, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

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

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

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ally was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ally

Cite this Entry

“Ally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ally. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ally

1 of 3 verb
allied; allying
: to form a connection or relation between : unite
especially : to join in an alliance

ally

2 of 3 noun
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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ally

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