liaison
noun
ˈlē-ə-ˌzän
Did you know?
If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the word for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like beaux arts sounds like \boh zahr\. We can thank French for the origin of the term liaison, as well. It comes from Middle French lier, meaning “to bind or tie.” Other English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds—from binding and thickening agents used in cooking (as in “a butter and flour liaison”), to people who work to connect different groups, to the kind of secret relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are romantically attracted to one another.
Examples of liaison in a Sentence
James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006
I had known Korologos when I was Solicitor General, and he was the Nixon White House's liaison to the Senate. He was a great support.
—Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America, 1990
Gossip columnists began to infer from Evelyn's disappearances that she was engaging in reckless liaisons, and her name was linked with dozens of men around town.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
She acts as a liaison between the police department and city schools.
Administrators need to establish a close liaison with employees.
He regretted his liaison with a woman from the office.
Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
According to a statement, the London Museum’s finds liaison officer examines around 5,000 objects each year and records 700 of them, acquiring a small number of objects for the museum’s permanent collection.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025
Then the representative is supposed to share the feelings of those in their district with other members of the Republican caucus and the White House congressional liaison official.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2025
Maas currently serves as a trustee of the San Diego History Center and liaison for the Women’s Museum of California.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liaison
Cite this Entry
“Liaison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liaison. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liaison
noun
lē-ˈā-
Share