liaison
gb/liˈeɪzˌɑn/ us/liˈeɪzˌɑn/
B2
English
~ 6000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person linking different groups
A person who helps two groups talk and work together.
Usage pattern:
[someone] acts/serves as a liaison between [groups]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'liaison' is always an action like 'to liaison'. In modern English it is almost always used as a noun in this sense (a liaison, to act as a liaison), not as a regular verb. Another confusion is using 'liaison' to mean 'leader' or 'manager'; a liaison connects groups but does not necessarily have authority over them.
Synonyms
go-between (Less formal and often suggests moving messages between two people or sides.)
|
intermediary (Slightly more formal; often used when someone helps solve a problem or negotiation.)
|
contact (More general; a person you know in another group or organization, not always an official role.)
Antonyms
outsider (Someone who is not involved in the communication or work between the groups.)
Collocations
liaison officer
|serve as a liaison
|act as a liaison
|company liaison
|community liaison
|police liaison
Themes
business
|organization
|communication
|work
Examples
- She works as a liaison between the local schools and the city government.
- The company hired a community liaison to improve relations with residents.
- Our project liaison will coordinate all communication with the client.
- The police liaison met with neighborhood leaders after the incident.
- He served as a liaison for the international volunteers during the conference.
Learner examples
- Maria is the liaison between the students and the teachers.
- We need a liaison to talk to the city office for us.
- The hospital has a family liaison who explains things to relatives.
- A police liaison spoke to the crowd after the game.
- He is the company liaison for our partners in Japan.
Noun
C1
relation
2
communication and cooperation link
Regular communication and working together between two groups.
Usage pattern:
liaison between [groups]; in liaison with [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'liaison' when a simpler word like 'communication' or 'contact' is better in everyday speech. 'Liaison' sounds more formal and is common in reports, news, and official writing. Another mistake is adding an article incorrectly; we say 'in liaison with X' (no article), but 'a liaison between X and Y' when it is a specific relationship.
Synonyms
coordination (Focuses more on organizing actions; 'liaison' highlights the communication link.)
|
communication (More general; does not always imply an organized working relationship.)
|
collaboration (Emphasizes working together, while 'liaison' emphasizes the link that makes it possible.)
Antonyms
disconnect (Describes a lack of communication or cooperation between groups.)
Collocations
close liaison
|maintain liaison
|effective liaison
|liaison between
|in liaison with
|ongoing liaison
Themes
business
|organization
|communication
|work
Examples
- There is little liaison between the marketing and engineering teams.
- The charity works in close liaison with local health services.
- Effective liaison between schools and parents is essential for student success.
- The report highlighted poor liaison between the two government agencies.
- Regular liaison with our suppliers has reduced delivery problems.
Learner examples
- We need better liaison between the office and the factory.
- The police are in liaison with the school about safety.
- There was no liaison between the teams, so the project was late.
- Our company has close liaison with a bank in London.
- Good liaison with local doctors helps the clinic serve people well.
Noun
C1
relation
3
romantic or sexual relationship
A romantic or sexual relationship between two people, often secret or not accepted by others.
Usage pattern:
a liaison with [someone]; have a liaison with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'liaison' to mean any long, normal romantic relationship. In modern English, this word usually suggests that the relationship is secret, short, or socially problematic, and it is more common in news or literary styles than in everyday talk, where 'affair' or 'relationship' are more natural.
Synonyms
affair (Very common word; can sound a little more informal and is strongly linked to secret or extramarital relationships.)
|
relationship (More general and neutral; does not suggest secrecy or disapproval.)
Antonyms
faithful relationship (Stresses loyalty and lack of secret or overlapping romantic relationships.)
Collocations
romantic liaison
|sexual liaison
|an illicit liaison
|have a liaison with
|a brief liaison
|a secret liaison
Themes
relationships
|society
Examples
- The actor was rumored to have had a brief liaison with his co-star.
- Newspapers reported on the politician's secret liaison with a lobbyist.
- Their liaison began at a conference and ended soon after they returned home.
- The novel centers on a forbidden liaison between a teacher and a student.
- She denied that she had ever had a romantic liaison with her boss.
Learner examples
- The movie shows a short liaison between two married people.
- The singer's secret liaison was in all the newspapers.
- He lost his job after his liaison with a client became public.
- The book tells the story of a forbidden liaison.
- They ended their liaison when they moved to different cities.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
egg-and-cream thickening mixture
A mix of egg yolks and usually cream that cooks add to a hot liquid to make it thicker and richer.
Usage pattern:
add a liaison to [sauce/soup]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'liaison' here means any connection in the recipe. In cooking, it is a specific mixture, usually of egg yolks and cream, used at the end of cooking to thicken a liquid gently.
Synonyms
thickener (General word; does not say that egg yolks and cream are used.)
Antonyms
reduction (A method of thickening by boiling away liquid, rather than adding a mixture like a liaison.)
Collocations
add a liaison
|finish with a liaison
|egg-yolk liaison
|cream and egg liaison
|thicken the sauce with a liaison
Themes
cooking
|food
|food_drink
Examples
- The chef finished the velouté with a liaison of egg yolks and cream.
- Be careful not to boil the soup after adding the liaison, or the eggs may curdle.
- Classical French recipes often use a liaison to give sauces a rich, silky texture.
- The cooking class demonstrated how to prepare and temper a liaison properly.
- This sauce uses no flour; it is thickened only with a liaison.
Learner examples
- The chef added a liaison to make the soup thick.
- Do not boil the sauce after you add the liaison.
- In French cooking, a liaison is egg and cream.
- We used a liaison instead of flour to thicken the sauce.
- The recipe tells you when to put in the liaison.
Noun
technical
C2
action
5
linking of final consonant in speech
In language study, when a final consonant that is usually silent is pronounced before the next word because that word begins with a vowel sound, especially in French.
Usage pattern:
liaison occurs between [word] and [word]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this technical meaning with the more common 'communication' sense when reading language textbooks. In linguistics, 'liaison' refers specifically to a sound pattern, not to people or relationships.
Synonyms
linking consonant (Descriptive English phrase; more general and not limited to French.)
Antonyms
hiatus (A break between two vowel sounds where no linking consonant is pronounced.)
Collocations
French liaison
|obligatory liaison
|optional liaison
|prohibited liaison
|liaison consonant
Themes
linguistics
|language
|education
|communication
Examples
- Students often struggle to master obligatory liaison in spoken French.
- The teacher gave several examples of liaison between plural nouns and following adjectives.
- This textbook includes a chart of common liaison consonants.
- Liaison is one of the features that makes spoken French sound very different from the written language.
- In this phrase, liaison is prohibited even though a vowel follows.
Learner examples
- Liaison is very important for good French pronunciation.
- We practiced liaison between French numbers and nouns.
- In the recording, you can clearly hear the liaison.
- The rules for liaison are hard for many students.
- Our teacher marked every liaison in the text with a line.
Grammar
Dictionary form
liaison
IPA
GB/liˈeɪzˌɑn/
US/liˈeɪzˌɑn/
Syllables & stress
li - ais - on (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ais)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: liaison
- Plural: liaison, liaisons
Word family
Forms
liaisons
noun
Core family
liaise
verb C1
Expressions
in liaison with
1/ˈɪn liˈeɪzˌɑn wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
working closely and communicating with
Working closely with someone or another group and sharing information regularly.
Examples
- The project was developed in liaison with local health authorities.
- Police are working in liaison with international agencies to investigate the crime.
- The school operates in liaison with several community organizations.
liaison officer
1/liˈeɪzˌɑn ˈɔfɪsɚ/
fixed phrase
official who manages communication link
A person in an official job whose main work is to communicate between two groups or organizations.
Examples
- An army liaison officer met with local leaders to discuss security.
- The hospital's family liaison officer explained the medical situation in simple terms.
- Our company has appointed a liaison officer to work with government regulators.