Allying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Uniting with others to form a partnership or support system for mutual benefit
2. Forming a connection with another party to cooperate toward shared goals
3. Combining forces or interests with someone else to achieve a common aim

Etymology: Ally, the word "allying" is built on, began as a Latin verb meaning to bind something tightly. Latin "alligare" combined an intensifying prefix "ad-" with "ligare", "to tie", so its earliest sense was physical fastening. Old French narrowed the sense: "alier" meant to unite or to alloy metals, and it was from there that English picked up the idea of two parties tied together by an agreement. English had the verb "alien" in Middle English, meaning to form an alliance, to marry, or to attack, and the noun "allie" for a partner or relative. The spelling "ally" settled later, and the verb form "allying" simply describes the act of joining with others. A surprising neighbour is "allay", which came from the same Latin root but went in a calmer direction, meaning to bind down, then to quiet, and eventually to relieve a fear.

Synonyms: uniting, joining, banding

Antonyms: dividing, separating, splitting