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coalition Definition

coa·li·tion (kō′ə lis̸h′ən)

noun

  1. a combination; union
  2. a temporary alliance of factions, nations, etc., for some specific purpose, as of political parties in times of national emergency

Etymology: ML coalitio < LL coalitus, fellowship, orig. pp. of coalescere: see coalesce

coalition Related Forms
co′a·li′·tion·ist noun
coalition Synonyms

coalition

n.

combination, temporary alliance, confederacy; see alliance 3, faction 1. See syn. study at alliance.

coalition Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • assemble: Make Poverty History is the largest ever coalition assembled in the UK to fight against global poverty.
  • govern: Predictably, the financial markets favor a continuation of the economic policies pursued by the governing coalition.

Preposition: against

  • terrorism: At our conference six months ago, I gave my firm backing to the international coalition against terrorism.

Adjective modifier

  • u.s.-led: Loyalist followers of the former dictator are accused of targeting Iraqis they perceive to be working with the U.S.-led coalition.
  • us-led: Jordan did not join a US-led coalition that drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991.
  • broad-based: He called for a broad-based student coalition against the war.
  • anti-terrorist: Work in progress includes a study of the possibility of international anti-terrorist coalitions.
  • centre-right: The specter looms of a return to the centre-right coalition that ruled the Federal Republic from 1983 to 1998.
  • anti-war: The UK anti-war coalition is urging everyone who can to get to London on April 12th.

Modifies a noun

  • troop: The coalition troops of about 30,000 have stayed about level.
  • force: Should the coalition forces have gone onto Baghdad, should an attempt have been made to arrest... ?
  • aircraft: All coalition aircraft departed the area safely, " added the statement.

Noun used with modifier

  • centre-left: But the most important thing the centre-left coalition might achieve is proportional representation.
  • Dem: Labor leaders here are said to be increasingly disenchanted with their Lib Dem coalition partners and considering alternative alliances after May 2007.
  • anti-terrorism: We should look very carefully at this anti-terrorism coalition and who is joining it and why.
  • ruling: On the one hand the ruling coalition is firmly committed to economic reforms.
  • anti-terror: Schroeder has argued that a strike against Baghdad could wreck the international anti-terror coalition and throw the Middle East into turmoil.
  • rainbow: The No campaign would be a rainbow coalition, to which the Green Party would add green and would co-operate wholeheartedly.

Preposition: with

  • SPD: Here the PDS has for a number of years been running the city in coalition with the SPD.
  • bourgeoisie: Coalition with the bourgeoisie leads to the proletariat's abnegating the revolutionary struggle against imperialism.
coalition Quotes

You may call it coalition, you may call it the accidental and fortuitous concurrence of atoms†but when gentlemen are in the habit of finding themselves in the same Lobby, it is not unnatural to suppose that they may, under certain circumstances, be ready to unite themselves together for the purpose of forming an Administration and becoming responsible for the opinions that they severally entertain.

—Palmerston, HenryJohnTemple, 3rd Viscount