From Middle English allien, alien [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier [and other forms], and Old French alier (modern French allier), from Latin alligāre, the present active infinitive of alligō, adligō, from al-, ad- + ligō (from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ-).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ăl'ī, əlī', IPA: /ˈælaɪ/, /əˈlaɪ/
• (America) IPA: /ˈæˌlaɪ/, /æˈlaɪ/

ally (allies, present participle allying; simple past and past participle allied)

1. (transitive)
   1. To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
      • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗, stanza 43, page 33 ↗:

        Theſe three did loue each other dearely well, / And with ſo firme affection were allyde, / As if but one ſoule in them all did dvvell, / VVhich did her povvre into three parts diuyde; […]

      • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], page 280 ↗, column 2:

        [W]hen hee's remou'd, your Highneſſe / VVill take againe your Queene, as yours at firſt, / Euen for your Sonnes ſake, and thereby for ſealing / The Iniurie of Tongues, in Courts and Kingdomes / Knovvne, and ally'd to yours.

      • 1716, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book VI”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC ↗, pages 147–148 ↗, lines 664–669:

        And novv the VVarriors paſſing on the vvay, / The graceful Paris firſt excus'd his Stay. / To vvhom the noble Hector thus reply'd: / O Chief! in Blood, and novv in Arms, ally'd! / Thy povv'r in VVar vvith Juſtice none conteſt; / Knovvn is thy Courage, and thy Strength confeſt.

      • 1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, →OCLC ↗, page 103 ↗:

        She died; and her place was supplied by a German princess nearly allied to the Imperial House.

   2. Chiefly followed by to or with: to connect or form a relation to (someone or something) by similarity in features or nature.
      • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i], page 73 ↗, column 2:

        Yes in good ſooth, the vice is of a great kindred; it is vvell allied, but it is impoſſible to extirpe it quite, Frier, till eating and drinking be put dovvne.

      • 1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. […], 3rd edition, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], published 1682, →OCLC ↗, page 5 ↗:

        Great VVits are ſure to Madneſs near alli'd; / And thin Partitions do their Bounds divide: […]

      • 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle II, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC ↗, page 13 ↗:

        Thus Nature gives us (let it check our Pride) / The virtue neareſt to our Vice ally'd; / Reaſon the Byas turns to Good from Ill, / And Nero reigns a Titus, if he vvill.

   3. (reflexive) To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.
      • 1742, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXIX”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], volume III, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; and sold by C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC ↗, page 172 ↗:

        [W]e have ſo many of our firſt Titled Families vvho have ally'd themſelves to Trade, (vvhoſe Inducements vvere Money only) that it ceaſes to be either a VVonder as to the Fact, or a Diſgrace to the Honour.

      • 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter X, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗, page 626 ↗:

        [George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax] had seen that the settlement of the government could be effected on Whig principles only, and who had therefore, for the time, allied himself closely with the Whigs.

2. (intransitive) Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.

   Synonyms: make common cause

   • 1673, Gilbert Burnet, “The First Conference”, in A Vindication of the Authority, Constitution, and Laws of the Church and State of Scotland. […], Glasgow: Robert Sanders, […], →OCLC ↗, page 62 ↗:

     [A]ftervvards he [Constantine the Great] allied vvith Licinius, and gave him his Siſter in marriage, and acknovvledged him his Colleague in the Empire.

   • 1837, Edward Lytton Bulwer [i.e., Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VIII, in Athens: Its Rise and Fall: […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC ↗, book III (From the Battle of Marathon to the Battles of Platæa and Mycale, B.C. 490 – B.C. 479), page 195 ↗:

     Whatever injuries […] the Athenians have done me I forgive. […] If they will ally with me, rebuild the temples I have burnt.

• alligate
• alligated (archaic)
• alligation
• alligator (obsolete)

• French: allier
• Italian: alleare, fare alleanza
• Portuguese: aliar
• Spanish: aliarse, unirse en

From Middle English allie, alie [and other forms], probably partly:

• from allien: see etymology 1; and
• from Anglo-Norman allié, alié, alyé, allyé, Middle French allié, alié, allyé, and Old French alliiet (modern French allié), a noun use of the past participle of Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier, and Old French alier: see etymology 1.

ally (plural allies)

1. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.
   • 1660, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] V. Of the Second Advantage, Wealth.”, in The Gentlemans Calling, London: […] T[imothy] Garthwait […], →OCLC ↗, page 83 ↗:

     [N]o attempt is made to call in God to their reſcue, as if he vvere an idle unconcern'd ſpectator of humane affairs, or ſo inconſiderable an ally, as not to be vvorth the care of engaging him on their ſide.

   • 1769, William Robertson, “Proofs and Illustrations. Note XLI. Sect. III. p. 186.”, in The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. […], volume I, London: […] W. and W. Strahan, for W[illiam] Strahan, T[homas] Cadell, […]; and J. Balfour, […], →OCLC ↗, page 381 ↗:

     The rights of the ſeven Electors were ſupported by all the deſcendants and allies of their powerful families, who ſhared in the ſplendor and influence, which they enjoyed by this diſtinguiſhing privilege.

   • 1822 May 20, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Culprit”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC ↗, page 197 ↗:

     […] Christy and his trusty ally, the one armed with a fowling piece, the other with an ancient blunderbuss, turned out as sentries to keep watch over this donjon keep.

   • 1916 December 29, James Joyce, chapter II, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC ↗, page 68 ↗:

     He became the ally of a boy named Aubrey Mills and founded with him a gang of adventurers in the avenue.

   1. A person who, or organization which, supports a demographic group subject to discrimination and/or misrepresentation but is not a member of the group; specifically (LGBT), a person who is not a member of the LGBT+ community but is supportive of it.

      I’m glad you want to be a better ally to the disabled.

2. A person, group, state, etc., which is associated or united by treaty with another for a common (especially military or political) purpose; a confederate.

   The two countries were allies in World War I.

   • [1513], John Skelton, A Ballade of the Scottysshe Kynge, [London: Richard Fawkes], →OCLC ↗; reprinted London: Elliot Stock, […], 1882, →OCLC ↗, page [94] ↗:

     To be ſo ſcornefull to your alye⸝ / Your counſeyle was not worth a flye.

   • 1640, Fra[ncis] Quarles, “[The First Century.] Chapter IX. ↗”, in Enchiridion: Containing Institutions, Divine, Contemplative, Practical. Moral, Ethical, Oeconomicall, Politicall, London: […] R. F., published 1644, →OCLC ↗, 1st book:

     If thou deſire to make vvarre vvith a Prince, vvith vvhom thou haſt formerly ratified a league; aſſaile ſome Ally of his, rather then himſelfe: […] his infidelity in not aſſiſting his Ally, vvill be diſcovered: Hereby thou ſhalt gaine thy ſelfe advantage, and facilitate thy deſignes.

   • 1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIV, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume III, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗, page 427 ↗:

     During some days indeed there was great reason to fear that the enemy would be entertained with a bloody fight between the English soldiers and their French allies.

3. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.
   • 1630, Michael Drayton, “[The Muses Elizium.] The Fift Nimphall.”, in Cyril Brett, editor, Minor Poems of Michael Drayton, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, published 1907, →OCLC ↗, page 198 ↗, lines 113–115:

     the pretty Pansy then Ile tye / Like Stones some Chaine inchasing, / And next to them their neere Alye, / The purple Violet placing.

   • 1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Timæus the Locrian. Of the Soul of the World, and of Nature.]”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC ↗, 1st part (Containing the Italick Sects), pages 134–135 ↗:

     The Aleptick art, and, its neereſt ally, Medicine, are deſign'd for the cure of bodies, reducing the faculties to the beſt harmony; […]

   • 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, page 112 ↗, lines 547–549:

     The frozen Earth lies buried there, belovv / A hilly heap, ſev'n Cubits deep in Snovv: / And all the VVeſt Allies of ſtormy Boreas blovv.

   • 1713, W[illiam] Derham, “[A Survey of the Particular Tribes of Animals.] Of the Head, Stomach, and Other Parts of Birds.”, in Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC ↗, book VII (A Survey of Birds), page 384 ↗:

     And novv from the Head and Mouth, paſs vve to it's near Allie the Stomach, another no leſs notable than uſeful Part; […]

   1. (taxonomy) An organism which is related to another organism through common evolutionary origin; specifically, a species which is closely related to another species, usually within the same family.

      The order of Gruiformes includes cranes and their allies.

4. (figuratively) A person, group, concept, etc., which is associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary; a supporter.
5. (historical or obsolete) A kinsman or kinswoman; a relative.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Juliet. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, published 1597, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i] ↗:

     This Gentleman the Princes neere Alie. / My very frend hath tane this mortall vvound / In my behalfe, […]

   • 1892, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXV, in The American Claimant, New York, N.Y.: Charles L[uther] Webster & Co., →OCLC ↗, page 269 ↗:

     Finally there was a quiet wedding at the Towers, […] The Sellerses were to go to England with their new allies for a brief visit, but when it was time to take the train from Washington, the colonel was missing.

• alliance

• French: allié, alliée
• German: Alliierter, Alliierte, Bundesgenosse, Bundesgenossin, Verbündeter, Verbündete
• Italian: alleato, alleata
• Portuguese: aliado, aliada
• Russian: сою́зник
• Spanish: aliado, aliada

• Portuguese: aliado
• Russian: помо́щник

ally (plural p) (obsolete)

1. One's relatives; kin, kindred, relations; also, relationship through descent or marriage; kinship.
   • 1556, John Heywood, chapter 29, in The Spider and the Flie. […], London: […] Tho[mas] Powell, →OCLC ↗; republished as A[dolphus] W[illiam] Ward, editor, The Spider and the Flie. […] (Publications of the Spenser Society, New Series; 6), Manchester: […] [Charles E. Simms] for the Spenser Society, 1894, →OCLC ↗, page 135 ↗:

     The ſpider: as of vſe in talke new entrid, / (Frendes axe of frends: the ſtate of their frends frendly,) / Axte how his coſins (thants father and mother) did. / His brothers ſiſters with all kyn and aly, / Thant ſaid thei did well.

2. People, groups, states, etc., which are associated or united with each other for a common purpose; confederates; also, the state of being allied; alliance, confederation.

See alley.

• IPA: /ˈæli/

ally (plural allies)

1. Alternative spelling of alley

Diminutives + -y.

• IPA: /ˈæliː/

1. A female given name
2. A male given name

   Ally Love

   • 1880, Alfred Tennyson, To Alfred Tennyson, My Grandson:

     Golden-hair'd Ally whose name is one with mine,
     Crazy with laughter and babble and earth's new wine