liaison

noun

li·​ai·​son lē-ˈā-ˌzän How to pronounce liaison (audio) ˈlē-ə-ˌzän How to pronounce liaison (audio)
nonstandard
ˈlā-ə- How to pronounce liaison (audio)
1
: a binding or thickening agent used in cooking
a butter and flour liaison
2
a
: a close bond or connection : interrelationship
b
: an illicit sexual relationship : affair sense 3a
3
a
: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force)
b
: a person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation
a press liaison
4
: the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause

Did you know?

If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the word for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like beaux arts sounds like \boh zahr\. We can thank French for the origin of the term, as well. Liaison comes from Middle French lier, meaning "to bind or tie." Other English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds—from people who work to connect different groups to the kind of relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are attracted to one another.

Examples of liaison in a Sentence

Today's army works on rotations; soldiers are deployed for about a year and then (in principle at least) they come home. When that happens, local liaisons and intelligence relationships must be rebuilt. James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006
I had known Korologos when I was Solicitor General, and he was the Nixon White House's liaison to the Senate. He was a great support. Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America, 1990
Gossip columnists began to infer from Evelyn's disappearances that she was engaging in reckless liaisons, and her name was linked with dozens of men around town. E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
She acts as a liaison between the police department and city schools. Administrators need to maintain better liaison with employees. Administrators need to establish a close liaison with employees. He regretted his liaison with a woman from the office.
Recent Examples on the Web Nicole Judd has been elevated to associate producer, show development, contributing to the development/production of all Opry shows in addition to serving as a programming liaison for various internal and external teams. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 The expats are placed with 21st-century liaisons, known as ‘bridges,’ in unlikely flat shares. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 As Sycamore Place East's enrichment liaison, Bradford said she was promised a large budget to plan social events for residents. Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024 Field sales, medical liaisons, payor teams, consumer marketing, et al — things every biopharma has with its level of capital, but no DTx company can afford. Torie Bosch, STAT, 10 Feb. 2024 Three hours before Lily Bao’s flight, a pair of liaison officers from the Guoanbu, each wearing a dark suit and crisp white shirt, had escorted him to this conference room and told him to wait. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 The liaison will notify IRS Criminal Investigation and others with the agency. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024 In early October, diplomats from some Western countries had noted to Israeli military liaisons that the Holy Family church was sheltering civilians who could not evacuate to the south. Claire Porter Robbins, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2024 As community liaison chair for the NAACP, Mack found Excelsior to be a great place to meet people. Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liaison.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from lier, from Old French

First Known Use

circa 1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of liaison was circa 1648

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near liaison

Cite this Entry

“Liaison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liaison. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

liaison

noun
li·​ai·​son ˈlē-ə-ˌzän How to pronounce liaison (audio) lē-ˈā- How to pronounce liaison (audio)
1
: a close connection
2
: communication especially between parts of an armed force
3
: a person who sets up or keeps up liaison

More from Merriam-Webster on liaison

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