What is the Latin word for alliance?

The usual Latin words for “alliance” are foedus, societās, coniūnctiō; also necessitūdō, cōpulātiō, cōnsanguinitās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“alliance” in Latin

foedustreaty, compact, alliance, truce, league; agreement, bond, contract, compact, pact, pledge, conditions, terms; covenant societāssociety, fellowship, partnership, association, community, union; affinity (a union for a common purpose); a company or s coniūnctiōconjunction; combination; association, affinity, relationship necessitūdōnecessity, need; distress; relationship, friendship, bond, intimacy; relatives, friends, family, kindred, connections cōpulātiōcoupling, joining, connecting, uniting cōnsanguinitāsblood relationship, consanguinity, kinship ī̆cōto hit, strike or smite; to stab or sting; to make a treaty feriōto hit, to strike, to smite, to beat, to knock, injure; to cut, to thrust; to kill by striking, to slay, to give a death

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

alliance

foedus (treaty, alliance): societas (state of being allied). (The words are found in this connection and order), societas et foedus; amicitia societasque. To make or form an alliance with anybody, foedus cum aliquo facere, icere, ferire, percutere; foedus jungere or iniro cum aliquo; foedere jungi alicui; societatem cum aliquo facere; aliquem sibi societate et foedara adjungere. To be in alliance with anybody, mihi cum aliquo ictum eat foedus. To observe the terms of an alliance: to be true to an alliance, foedus servare, foedere stare; in fida manere (opposed to breaking its terms; foedus negligere, violare, rumpere, frangera). ImPROP.,

close connection in private life, conjunctio: societas. (The words are found in this connection and order), conjunctio et societas: necessitudo (the mutual relation in which friends, colleagues, patron and client stand together): copulatio (rare, Cic., De Fin, 1, 20, 69): conjunctio affinitatis, afflnitatis vinculum (by marriage): communio sanguinis, consanguinitas, consanguinitatis or sanguinis vinculum (of relationship). The alliance of friendship, conjunctio et familiaritas. To form an alliance with anybody, societatem cum aliquo inire, coira, facere: to break it off, dirimere. A very close, the closest possible alliance, colligatio arctissima societatis (after Cic., De Off., 1, 17, 53). To form a closer alliance with anybody, arctiora necessitudinis vincula cum aliquo contrahere.

= marriage: to form an alliance with anybody, affinitatem cum aliquo jungere; cum aliquo affinitate sese conjungere or devincire: to form an alliance with such a family, filiam or virginem ex domo aliqua in matrimonium petere (of the man: afterward, Liv., 4, 4, mid.): nubere or innubere in alicujus familiam or domum (of the female). To form a matrimonial alliance (i. e., with the person married), matrimonio jungi or conjungi; nuptiis inter se jungi. Vid: MARRY.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for alliance?: The usual Latin words for “alliance” are foedus, societās, coniūnctiō; also necessitūdō, cōpulātiō, cōnsanguinitās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.