Etymologically
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coalition

Etymology and origin of the English word coalition

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1604
Borrowed from
Middle French coalition
Ultimate origin
Latin (coalesco)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kəʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/ (UK); /koʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French coalition (1544) or Medieval Latin coalitio,[2][3][4][5] formed from coalitus, the past participle of coalēscere (“to grow together, unite”) (see coalesce).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The growing together of parts, coalescence: 1612 in Barnhart and the OED, the 1610s in Etymonline;[2][6][3] MWU has 1604.[7]

Semantic evolution

Union into one body is from 1620, and the union of parties, principles or interests from about 1645.[6] The political sense, an alliance of distinct parties or states for combined action, is first recorded in 1715.[2][3][6] A coalition government is formed by several parties.[8][9]

Timeline

  • 1604 – first known use (MWU).[7]
  • 1612 – growing together.[2][6]
  • c. 1645 – a union of interests.[6]
  • 1715 – a political alliance.[2][6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An alliance of political parties or states for a particular purpose, especially to form a government.
  2. A union or combination into one body.

Word family

  • coalitionist
  • coalitional
  • coalitioner
  • coalitionism

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  9. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Coalition.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/coalition. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·