align
Americanverb (used with object)
-
aligns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
aligned,
past participle, past
-
aligning
present participle
-
to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line.
- Synonyms:
- straighten
-
to bring into a line or alignment.
- Synonyms:
- straighten
-
to bring into cooperation or agreement with a particular group, party, cause, etc..
He aligned himself with the liberals.
-
to adjust (two or more components of an electronic circuit) to improve the response over a frequency band, as to align the tuned circuits of a radio receiver for proper tracking throughout its frequency range, or a television receiver for appropriate wide-band responses.
verb (used without object)
-
aligns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
aligned,
past participle, past
-
aligning
present participle
-
to fall or come into line; be in line.
-
to join with others in a cause.
verb
-
to place or become placed in a line
-
to bring (components or parts, such as the wheels of a car) into proper or desirable coordination or relation
-
to bring (a person, country, etc) into agreement or cooperation with the policy, etc of another person or group
-
(tr) psychol to integrate or harmonize the aims, practices, etc of a group
-
(usually foll by with) psychol to identify with or match the behaviour, thoughts, etc of another person
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
alignsimple
-
alignssimple
-
have alignedperfect
-
has alignedperfect
-
am aligningprogressive
-
are aligningprogressive
-
is aligningprogressive
-
have been aligningperfect progressive
-
has been aligningperfect progressive
Past
-
alignedsimple
-
had alignedperfect
-
was aligningprogressive
-
were aligningprogressive
-
had been aligningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of align
First recorded in 1685–95; from French aligner, equivalent to a- “toward” + ligner, from Latin līneāre, derivative of līnea “line”; see origin at a- 5, line 1
Explanation
To align means to bring something into a straight line, or an easy agreement. If you always park on an angle and people are leaving mean notes on your windshield, learn to align the car with the parking space. Align comes from the French a, meaning "to" and ligne meaning "line," and it means to bring something into line with something else. This can be literal. If you are hanging a painting, you'll want to align it with the window frame. The line can also be metaphorical. If you run for office, your political opinions will need to be aligned with those of your supporters.
Vocabulary lists containing align
The Crossover
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Disney is reportedly planning a restructuring of its TV operations to better align with the demands of streaming.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
“Performance-based compensation can offer a rational and effective means to define and align adviser and investor goals,” the SEC’s Atkins said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
The allegations against Ross raised in the affidavit appear to align with claims his ex-girlfriend, influencer Jazzma Kendrick, levied against the rapper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
With impressive box defenders, dangerous counter-attackers and set-piece specialists, their tactics can align with their players' strengths, helping them compete against more less aligned opponents, irrespective of their wealth gap.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
I gazed at her, trying to align the tragic, lovesick woman I’d seen on the big screen with this girl, dewy-faced from the humid air of wash vats and irons, pawing through my family’s sheets.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
The 25-year-old center’s age aligns well with Doncic, 27, and Reaves, 28, creating a potent trio that could define the franchise’s new era.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
A spokesperson said: "We encourage students to select accommodation that aligns with their lifestyle preferences and budget throughout the application process."
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
For Samantha, she said what makes headlines rarely aligns with her own experience at Burning Man.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
The decision aligns with Kenanga Investment Bank’s forecast that the policy rate will remain at 2.75% through 2026, given contained underlying inflation and resilient domestic demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
I watch as she aligns her two yellow pencils.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
The two candidates have been somewhat aligned in trying to tweak the tax.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Pullbacks are the admission price for participating in longer-term market appreciation. This underscores the importance of staying aligned with the primary trend rather than short-term turbulence,” he says.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
It added that "Albanian legislation will have to be aligned with the EU" before the crucial Chapter 27 environmental elements of the accession talks, relating to waste management, water and air quality, "can be closed".
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“What they’re doing right now is testing alignment gently, realizing that their models are not aligned, and letting them loose anyway,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
He knew which girl from my clique I was most closely aligned with, and which girl was currently in friendship purgatory.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
But later, the task of aligning a small knife into the utensil basket proved to be another challenge.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Evan Hubinger, who leads the division of Anthropic aimed at aligning AI models to human interests, added fuel to concerns this week in a post that substantiated Coxon’s concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
"What Egypt is seeking is strategic autonomy: not breaking with Washington, not aligning completely with Beijing, but creating enough room to pursue its own national interests," he added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
"We've been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars," Joshua said at Thursday's news conference in Jeddah.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
But by aligning herself with the temperance movement, Anthony gained some new enemies—in the powerful liquor lobby, which now linked the women’s vote with a threat to their industry.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
