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
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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:
You don’t need to contort yourself to fit into someone else’s life, especially if that life doesn’t align with who you are or what you value.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
No one knows, but when technical breakouts align with supportive macro fundamentals and powerful flow dynamics, trends can often extend much further than many expect, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Continue to apply to jobs that align with your ethics.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Howe's defensive tactics should align well with the Red Bull style of pressing, which could make it easier for the players to buy into Jaissle's methods.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
She nudged an unopened box of Sal Hepatica a little with the trowel of her extended fingers to align it with the other sempervirents in its row, and then closed the cabinet door.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
She adds that while socks and sandals have become a viral fashion trend "it's important to consider whether a trend aligns with the image you want to communicate professionally".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
But McElwee’s nonlinear construction and brusque, confessional narration slowly transform the film into something much deeper, a poignant work of art that instantly yet subtly aligns itself with the great stories of our time.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
But regardless of what he calls himself, Lamb’s behavior aligns with a movement with a deeply checkered history.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Everything aligns — front to back, inside to outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
I watch as she aligns her two yellow pencils.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Instead, the pope appears to have viewed England as having abandoned his faction and aligned itself with his rival.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Out of the more than 3,700 federal actions that have come before the coastal commission for review since the 1970s, the commission has aligned with the actions 96% of the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
For now, at least, many of Wall Street’s big banks are aligned with retail traders in their otherworldly optimism, in no small part because of Musk’s prowess for engineering and marketing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Lilly had its own struggles producing enough tirzepatide, but it quickly turned to new ideas that aligned with the way many patients were behaving — like consumers, not patients.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The seal on his diploma, which was precisely aligned on the wall with his right ear, made for the perfect place to concentrate my attention.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
From the jump, it’s hard to shake the feeling that “Tony” is mistakenly aligning itself with the public’s idea of Bourdain rather than the man’s reality.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
He says Germany aims to provide the “strategic glue” aligning the Baltic, Nordic and eastern front-line states with the rest of Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 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
“We are simplifying the organization, strengthening leadership, enforcing accountability and aligning our structure with the priorities that matter most: customers, quality, and innovation,” Napoli said in a statement.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
That made solving in depth a challenge, but top code breakers figured out other ways of aligning messages with statistics and other insights.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions 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.
