Meaning
To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
From Middle English allien, alien (“to form an alliance, associate, join; to become an ally; to introduce (someone) as an ally; to marry; to become related (to someone); to attack, engage in combat; to combine; (cooking) to combine ingredients, especially to bind them together”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman alier, allier, Middle French alier, allier [and other forms], and Old French alier (“to join together, unite; to alloy (metals); (cooking) to combine ingredients”) (modern French allier), from Latin alligāre, the present active infinitive of alligō, adligō (“to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie; to hold fast; to detain, hinder”), from al-, ad- (intensifying prefix) + ligō (“to bind, tie; to bandage, wrap around; to unite”) (from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind, tie”)). Doublet of allay, alligate, alloy, and ligament.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 41 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-31LABDORY
- 2026-06-16YAEILNV
- 2026-04-20LATIDNY
- 2026-04-05ACTIFLY
- 2026-03-15LARDCIY
- 2026-01-20AFTLINY
- 2026-01-17YATROLP
- 2025-12-11YPAOLEM
- 2025-11-11YANLGDI
- 2025-09-20ADENYZL
- 2025-09-05ABEJLNY
- 2025-08-27LAVIDNY
+29 earlier appearances in the archive.