The word “coalition” is an umbrella concept. It refers to a form of government which is established when two or more political parties agree to work together. The concept comes from the Latin word coalitus, which means “to grow together”. The assumption is that those parties that form part of a coalition are expected to pull in the same direction.
Depending on when such a coalition is formed, it can be referred to as a pre-election coalition if it is formed before an election, or a post-election