Alligate

//ˈælɪɡeɪt// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To bind or tie; to unite. obsolete, transitive

    "Instincts alligated to their nature."

  2. 2
    To solve an arithmetic problem concerning proportions by means of alligation; to associate as having the same ratio.

    "Link or alligate the branches, so as one greater and another less than the root may be linked or yoked together."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Having the same proportion or ratio. not-comparable

    "The proportional parts are then found by reducing the alligate parts to the same denominator , dropping the denominators and writing the numerators ."

Example

More examples

"Instincts alligated to their nature."

Etymology

From Latin alligatus (“tied, bound”), past participle of alligo (“I bind”), from ad + ligo (“I bind”). Doublet of alloy.

More for "alligate"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.