lexicow

coalition

/ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən//ˌkəʊəˈlɪʃən/·noun
Three small tugs have a great ship under tow, their lines drawn taut to its bow. Hauling together they drag the heavy hull into motion across the water; and the moment it is fairly underway and coasting on its own, the lines are cast off and the tugs scatter, each peeling back to its own course. They were never one vessel — they only coupled long enough to move what none could move alone, and broke apart the instant the work was done.
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Definition

A coalition is a temporary alliance — separate parties, factions, or nations that agree to act as one for a shared purpose and then go their own ways once it is served. It shares a Latin root with coalesce, 'to grow together', but a coalition never fully fuses: each member keeps its own identity and interests, which is what makes coalitions powerful and fragile at once. In politics it is the standard term for a government formed when no single party holds a majority and rivals must combine to rule.

Examples

  • After the election, three rival parties had to coalesce into a single governing coalition.
  • Environmental groups formed a broad coalition to counteract the new drilling policy.
  • The wartime coalition began to fracture the moment its common enemy was gone.

Collocations

form a coalition·a broad coalition·a coalition government·a fragile coalition·build a coalition

Synonyms

alliance·bloc·union·partnership·league

Antonyms

faction·split

Word family

coalitional (adjective)

In TOEFL & IELTS

A key noun for IELTS/TOEFL essays on politics, the environment and international relations. It is countable ('a coalition of NGOs') and collocates tightly with 'form', 'build' and 'broad'. Examiners reward the nuance that a coalition is interest-based and can dissolve — it is not a permanent merger, which is what separates it from a true union.