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liaison

n.
US //ˈɫeɪˌzɑn// UK //liːˈeɪzɒn// li·ai·son
  1. 1 communication (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    communication between different groups or people so they can work together well.

    communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations.

    Example

    There is close liaison between the police and the local community.

    Example

    The success of the project depended on effective liaison between the engineering department and the marketing team during the initial design phase.
  2. 2 a person who connects groups (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person whose job is to help two different groups communicate and work together.

    an individual who acts as a link to assist communication or cooperation between groups of people.

    Example

    She acts as a liaison between the school and the parents.

    Example

    The embassy appointed a military liaison to coordinate the joint rescue efforts with the local authorities.
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  1. 3 romantic affair (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a secret romantic or sexual relationship between two people.

    a secret sexual relationship between two people who are not married to each other.

    Example

    The book tells the story of a dangerous liaison between two spies.

    Example

    The politician's career was nearly ruined when the press uncovered his brief liaison with a former staff member.
  2. 4 thickening agent (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Cooking

    a mixture, often made of egg yolks and cream, used to thicken a sauce.

    a binding or thickening agent for soups or sauces, typically consisting of egg yolks and cream.

    Example

    Add the liaison to the soup at the very end to make it creamy.

    Example

    The chef carefully tempered the liaison before whisking it into the velouté to ensure the egg yolks did not curdle.
  3. 5 linguistic linking (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    the way some words are joined together when spoken, especially in French.

    the sounding of a normally silent final consonant before a following vowel or 'h' mute.

    Example

    In French, the 's' in 'les' is heard because of liaison when the next word starts with a vowel.

    Example

    The student struggled with the rules of mandatory liaison, often failing to link the final consonant of the adjective to the following noun.
Origin

Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligātiōn-; whence the English doublet ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

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