allied

1. 1
   adjective

   United with other nations, groups, or people as allies, bound together by agreement for a common purpose.

   The allied forces coordinated their strategy before launching the offensive.

   Several factions remained allied throughout the long and bitter conflict.

   Similarunited, aligned, affiliated

   Oppositeopposing, hostile

2. 2
   adjective

   Connected to another thing through close similarity, shared origin, or kindred nature; related in kind.

   Linguistics draws on allied fields such as psychology and anthropology.

   This rare disorder is allied to several other inherited conditions.

   Similarrelated, associated, kindred, connected, akin

   Oppositeunrelated, unconnected

   Note

   Here the bond is likeness rather than agreement. Nothing has been signed; the things simply belong together. It sits most comfortably before plural nouns naming disciplines or subjects, as in bacteriology and allied subjects or allied fields. After a verb it takes to, as in allied to several inherited conditions, the same preposition the verb uses when it links things by similarity of nature.

3. 3
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of ally.

   The rebel groups allied against the ruling government.

   She allied herself with the reformers early in her career.

   Note

   The past form serves every construction the verb takes. It can be transitive (allied two families by marriage), reflexive (allied herself with the reformers) or intransitive (the groups allied against the government). The usual partner is with, or to when the link is one of likeness. The same spelling doubles as an adjective, so the allied forces is the "joined as allies" adjective, not a passive verb.

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