liaise: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal/Professional
Quick answer
What does “liaise” mean?
To establish cooperation and communication between people or organizations.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To establish cooperation and communication between people or organizations.
To act as a link or intermediary to facilitate information flow, coordination, and collaborative problem-solving, often between distinct parties.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More commonly used in British English. In American English, alternatives like 'coordinate with', 'work with', or 'interface with' are frequent, though 'liaise' is understood.
Connotations
Connotes a structured, official, or managerial communication channel in both varieties.
Frequency
Substantially higher frequency in British corpora (BNC). Considered slightly more bureaucratic in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “liaise” in a Sentence
VERB + with + NP (person/group)VERB + between + NP (group A) + and + NP (group B)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “liaise” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The community officer will liaise with local residents about the new development.
- We need someone to liaise between marketing and engineering.
American English
- Our HR department liaises with the union on all contract matters.
- She was hired to liaise with federal regulators.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Essential for project management, e.g., 'Your role is to liaise with our overseas partners.'
Academic
Used in research administration, e.g., 'The study coordinator will liaise between the ethics board and the lab.'
Everyday
Rare in casual speech; might be used humorously for planning social events.
Technical
Common in IT, healthcare, and military contexts to describe system or unit coordination.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “liaise”
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “liaise”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “liaise”
- Using as a transitive verb without a preposition: *'I will liaise the team.' (Incorrect) -> 'I will liaise with the team.'
- Using the noun form 'liaison' as a verb: *'I will liaison between them.' (Incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while most common in professional contexts (business, government, academia), it can be used in any situation requiring formal coordination between groups.
It is considered redundant because 'liaise' already implies joint action. 'Liaise' alone is preferable, though the collocation is occasionally heard.
The noun is 'liaison' (e.g., 'She acts as a liaison between the departments').
No. It originated in military slang (circa 1920s) as a back-formation from 'liaison' and became standard in the mid-20th century.
To establish cooperation and communication between people or organizations.
Liaise is usually formal/professional in register.
Liaise: in British English it is pronounced /liˈeɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /liˈeɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Act as a liaison”
- “Serve as a bridge”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'LIE-AISE' - You LIE down a smooth AISLE (a path) between two groups to help them talk.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNICATION IS A BRIDGE (The person who liaises is the physical structure connecting two separated lands).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is the word 'liaise' used correctly?