ally — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   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; […]

   [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.

   That this coniunction doth not ioyne the ſubſtances, but vniteth the affections, and allyeth the wils.

   More examples (2)

   Solomon preferreth her [Pharaoh's daughter] before the reſt of his vvives, for they vvere of Nations that vvere his Subjects, but ſhe the daughter of an intire King, and by this match he allieth that potent King to him, and ſecureth himſelf the better abroad; […]

   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.

   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.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   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.

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

   More examples (1)

   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. To join or unite (oneself or itself) against, with, etc., someone or something else.

   Usage

   • Reflexive
   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (5)

   To be ſhort, hauing thus ingrafted them into the body of his [God's] Sonne, he ioyneth and allieth him ſelfe to them, he maketh him ſelfe one with them, maketh them his children and heyres, partakers of his immortalitie and glorie, and all this he worketh by the inward vertue of his holy Ghost, […]

   [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.

   And do we upbraid thee [rain], in our heartless stupidity, because, rather than withhold thy life-giving dispensations, thou allyest thy gentle nature with thy opposites, and comest in unwelcome company—in chilly league with Eurus, or riding on the stormy wings of night-confounding Aquilo— […]

   [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.

   A wise damsel walketh up and down discreetly in the world, minding her affairs: she regardeth not the pleading of vain lovers, but taketh counsel with her friends and allieth herself at last to one of true worth. Then she giveth up her whole heart to the service of her husband, and receiveth from him again his love and strong help and the flower of his estate beyond calcuation or desire.

   Poor Poverty! […] Well art thou in the right when thou alliest thyself to Vice and Crime.

4. Chiefly followed by with: to enter into an alliance or unite for a common aim.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Synonyms

   make common cause

   Examples

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

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

Noun

1. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend.

   Examples

   More examples (3)

   [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.

   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.

   […] 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.

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

2. A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend. 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 (LGBTQ), a person who is not a member of the LGBT+ community but is supportive of it.

   Examples

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

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

   Examples

   The two countries were allies in World War I.

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

   More examples (3)

   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.

   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.

   Even before she begs Jon to keep his identity a secret, she reeks of desperation; in order to gain an ally that isn’t already in her entourage, she sets Gendry Baratheon né Rivers up in Storm’s End.

4. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature.

   Examples

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

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

   More examples (2)

   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.

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

5. Something regarded as connected with or related to another thing by similarity in features or nature. 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.

   Examples

   The order of Gruiformes includes cranes and their allies.

   More examples (1)

   Procyonids (raccoons and their allies), a group of North American origin, are first recorded in South America in a level immediately below a unit dated at 6.0 million years.

6. A person, group, concept, etc., which is associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary; a supporter.

   Usage

   • Figurative

   Examples

   [S]cience, instead of being the enemy of religion, becomes its ally.

7. A kinsman or kinswoman; a relative.

   Usage

   • Historical
   • Obsolete

   Examples

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

   More examples (1)

   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.

Noun

1. One's relatives; kin, kindred, relations; also, relationship through descent or marriage; kinship.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • plural
   • Plural only

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

   Usage

   • Obsolete
   • plural
   • Plural only

Noun

1. a friendly nation

   Broader terms

   statenationcountrylandcommonwealthres publicabody politic

2. an associate who provides cooperation or assistance

   Synonyms

   friend

   Broader terms

   associate

   Examples

   he's a good ally in fight

Verb

1. become an ally or associate, as by a treaty or marriage

   Broader terms

   consortassociateaffiliateassort

   Examples

   He allied himself with the Communists