# liaison

/ˈɫeɪˌzɑn/ (US) · /liːˈeɪzɒn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/liaison
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. communication

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- There is close liaison between the police and the local community.
- The success of the project depended on effective liaison between the engineering department and the marketing team during the initial design phase.

### 2. a person who connects groups

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- She acts as a liaison between the school and the parents.
- The embassy appointed a military liaison to coordinate the joint rescue efforts with the local authorities.

### 3. romantic affair

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a secret romantic or sexual relationship between two people.

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

- The book tells the story of a dangerous liaison between two spies.
- The politician's career was nearly ruined when the press uncovered his brief liaison with a former staff member.

### 4. thickening agent

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- Add the liaison to the soup at the very end to make it creamy.
- The chef carefully tempered the liaison before whisking it into the velouté to ensure the egg yolks did not curdle.

### 5. linguistic linking

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- In French, the 's' in 'les' is heard because of liaison when the next word starts with a vowel.
- The student struggled with the rules of mandatory liaison, often failing to link the final consonant of the adjective to the following noun.

## Examples

- She acts as a liaison between the two departments.
- The chef added a liaison of cream and egg yolks to the velouté to give it a silky texture.
- Effective project management requires a dedicated liaison to ensure that the technical team and the stakeholders remain aligned on the final deliverables.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.