Liaison Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms liaison American [lee-ey-zawn, lee-uh-zon, -zuhn, ley-, lee-ey-zuhn, -zon, lye-zawn] / ˌli eɪˈzɔ̃, ˈli əˌzɒn, -zən, ˈleɪ-, liˈeɪ zən, -zɒn, lyɛˈzɔ̃ /

noun

plural

liaisons

1. the contact or connection maintained by communications between units of the armed forces or of any other organization in order to ensure concerted action, cooperation, etc.

2. a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection.

3. an illicit sexual relationship.

4. Cooking. the process of thickening sauces, soups, etc., as by the addition of eggs, cream, butter, or flour.

5. Phonetics. a speech-sound redistribution, occurring especially in French, in which an otherwise silent final consonant is articulated as the initial sound of a following syllable that begins with a vowel or with a silent h, as the z- and n- sounds in Je suis un homme

liaison British / lɪˈeɪzɒn /

noun

1. communication and contact between groups or units

2. (modifier) of or relating to liaison between groups or units

   a liaison officer

3. a secretive or adulterous sexual relationship

4. one who acts as an agent between parties; intermediary

5. the relationship between military units necessary to ensure unity of purpose

6. (in the phonology of several languages, esp French) the pronunciation of a normally silent consonant at the end of a word immediately before another word commencing with a vowel, in such a way that the consonant is taken over as the initial sound of the following word. Liaison is seen between French ils (il) and ont ( ɔ̃ ), to give ils ont ( il zɔ̃ )

7. any thickening for soups, sauces, etc, such as egg yolks or cream

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does liaison mean? A liaison is a person who acts to arrange and assist interaction between parties. A close synonym is intermediary. A more informal synonym is go-between.It can also refer to communication, interaction, or a meeting between such parties.The verb liaise comes from liaison and typically means to act as a liaison by doing such arranging, assisting, and communicating.But liaison is also used in several other, more specific contexts.In the context of the military, liaison refers to the contact or connection maintained by communications between units in order to ensure concerted action—or the person who maintains this contact.In cooking (especially classical French cooking), it can be used as a technical term for the process of thickening sauces, soups, and other dishes, such as by adding eggs, cream, butter, or flour.Liaison is also a somewhat formal term for a secretive sexual relationship, especially one in which at least one of the partners is cheating on their spouse. A much more common word for this is affair.Example: In my work as an interdepartmental liaison, I’ve learned that communication and trust are keys to success.

Etymology

Origin of liaison

First recorded in 1640–50; from French, Old French, from Latin ligātiōn-, stem of ligātiō “a binding”; ligation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not that the children who passed through the Innocenti’s chambers were necessarily parentless: The vast majority were illegitimate, the result of reckless or criminal liaisons their natural parents found it necessary to cover up.

From The Wall Street Journal

"When I asked why, I was told: 'Your name is not in the liaison office records'," he said.

From Barron's

The inquiry was thrown into chaos earlier this year when four women resigned from its survivors liaison panel in protest at how the government had handled the process so far.

From BBC

Among the speakers were representatives from the American Cross and American Legion, fire personnel from the Los Angeles Fire City Department Station 23 and a liaison from the Los Angeles Police Department.

From Los Angeles Times

One liaison member who heard the comments said he understood them to refer to rubber-stamping someone else’s agenda rather than engaging in genuine scientific debate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• communication
• contact
• intermediary

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.