: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force)
b
: a person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation
a press liaison
4
: the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause
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, as well. Liaison comes from Middle French lier, meaning "to bind or tie." Other English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds—from people who work to connect different groups to the kind of relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are attracted to one another.
Today's army works on rotations; soldiers are deployed for about a year and then (in principle at least) they come home. When that happens, local liaisons and intelligence relationships must be rebuilt. James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006I 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, 1990Gossip 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 maintain better liaison with employees. Administrators need to establish a close liaison with employees. He regretted his liaison with a woman from the office. See More
Recent Examples on the WebBlasdel worked last year as Northeast Ohio liaison for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s office. Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland, 8 Sep. 2022 Bigari works as a school liaison for the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, providing youth and family services and advocating for students.Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2022 Perhaps the lone exception is Midge Costanza, who used her position as a public liaison for Jimmy Carter to broker a White House meeting with gay activists, Kameny among them. Michael Waters, The New Yorker, 31 May 2022 Mango, who worked at HHS under Trump as deputy chief of staff and later as his liaison with Operation Warp ... Willy Chertman, National Review, 30 July 2022 In this murder, the male is both victim and accomplice, spinning a web of mystery around their leggy liaison. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 20 July 2022 Augusta will represent you as your liaison to the custodian. Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 July 2022 While on council, Harbison served as its liaison to the city’s financial planning, parks and recreation, government affairs and law and safety committees. Jeanne Houck, The Enquirer, 30 June 2022 For the past several months, Salt Lake City police have tried to work with business owners to identify safety solutions, with one officer acting as a liaison. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French, from Middle French, from lier, from Old French