Friendship vs. Alliance — What's the Difference?

Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association, and has been studied in academic fields such as communication, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and philosophy.

An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called allies.

The quality or condition of being friends.

A close association of nations or other groups, formed to advance common interests or causes

A friendly relationship

A formal agreement establishing such an association, especially an international treaty of friendship.

Friendliness; good will

A connection based on kinship, marriage, or common interest; a bond or tie

(uncountable) The condition of being friends.

A long-term association of two or more animals of the same species, in which members cooperate for a purpose such as gaining access to mates or defending territory.

(countable) A friendly relationship, or a relationship as friends.

Close similarity in nature or type; affinity

(uncountable) Good will.

The act of becoming allied or the condition of being allied

The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will.

(uncountable) The state of being allied.

Kindly aid; help; assistance,

(countable) The act of allying or uniting.

Aptness to unite; conformity; affinity; harmony; correspondence.

(countable) A union or connection of interests between families, states, parties, etc., especially between families by marriage and states by compact, treaty, or league.

The state of being friends

(countable) Any union resembling that of families or states; union by relationship in qualities; affinity.

(with the definite article) The persons or parties allied.

(India) Marriage.

(obsolete) To connect or unite by alliance; to ally.

The state of being allied; the act of allying or uniting; a union or connection of interests between families, states, parties, etc., especially between families by marriage and states by compact, treaty, or league; as, matrimonial alliances; an alliance between church and state; an alliance between France and England.

Any union resembling that of families or states; union by relationship in qualities; affinity.

The persons or parties allied.

To connect by alliance; to ally.

The state of being allied or confederated

A connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest;

An organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty

A formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aim

The act of forming an alliance or confederation