The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CONSORTIA
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
O
N
S
O
R
T
I
A
More clues leading to the result CONSORTIA
- Wife, excellent, raised lots of concerns
- Company torn as I formed associations in business
- Albert was one I admired, primarily for alliances
- Spies entrap working-class associations
- Groups of bodies of soldiers in various actions
- Business groups getting on, type retained by American agency
- Agents take over brand associates
- Groups of thieves incite a riot
- Study kind and top comeback of alliances
- Cheat kind Asians heartily in partnershipsÂ
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "alliances" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case alliances = consortia.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CONSORTIA mean?
CONSORTIA noun- An association or combination of businesses, financial institutions, or investors, for the purpose of engaging in a joint venture.
- A similar arrangement among non-commercial institutions or organizations.
- An association or society.
- The right of a spouse to all the normal relationships with his or her mate.
- A group of symbiotic microbes.