array

American  

[uh-rey] / əˈreɪ /

verb (used with object)

• arrays,
  present (3rd person singular)
• arrayed,
  past participle,  past
• arraying
  present participle

1. to place in proper or desired order; marshal.

   Napoleon arrayed his troops for battle.

   Synonyms:

   dispose, order, range, arrange

2. to clothe with garments, especially of an ornamental kind; dress up; deck out.

   She arrayed herself in furs and diamonds.

   Synonyms:

   decorate, adorn, ornament, attire, dress, apparel

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noun

• arrays
  plural

1. order or arrangement, as of troops drawn up for battle.

   Synonyms:

   disposition

2. military force, especially a body of troops.

3. a large and impressive grouping or organization of things.

   He couldn't dismiss the array of facts.

   Synonyms:

   exhibition, exhibit, show

4. regular order or arrangement; series.

   an array of figures.

5. a large group, number, or quantity of people or things.

   an impressive array of scholars; an imposing array of books.

6. attire; dress.

   in fine array.

   Synonyms:

   raiment

7. an arrangement of interrelated objects or items of equipment for accomplishing a particular task.

   thousands of solar cells in one vast array.

8. Mathematics, Statistics.

   1. an arrangement of a series of terms according to value, as from largest to smallest.

   2. an arrangement of a series of terms in some geometric pattern, as in a matrix.

9. Computers. a block of related data elements, each of which is usually identified by one or more subscripts.

10. Radio. antenna array.

array British  

/ əˈreɪ /

noun

1. an impressive display or collection

2. an orderly or regular arrangement, esp of troops in battle order

3. poetic rich clothing; apparel

4. maths a sequence of numbers or symbols in a specified order

5. maths a set of numbers or symbols arranged in rows and columns, as in a determinant or matrix

6. electronics an arrangement of aerials spaced to give desired directional characteristics, used esp in radar

7. law a panel of jurors

8. the arming of military forces

9. computing a regular data structure in which individual elements may be located by reference to one or more integer index variables, the number of such indices being the number of dimensions in the array

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verb

1. to dress in rich attire; adorn

2. to arrange in order (esp troops for battle); marshal

3. law to draw up (a panel of jurors)

array Scientific  

/ ə-rā′ /

1. Mathematics A rectangular arrangement of quantities in rows and columns, as in a matrix.

2. Numerical data ordered in a linear fashion, by magnitude.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• arrayal
  noun
• arrayer
  noun
• unarrayed
  adjective
• well-arrayed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arrays
  plural

Participles

• arraying
  present
• arrayed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• array
  simple
• arrays
  simple
• have arrayed
  perfect
• has arrayed
  perfect
• am arraying
  progressive
• are arraying
  progressive
• is arraying
  progressive
• have been arraying
  perfect progressive
• has been arraying
  perfect progressive

Past

• arrayed
  simple
• had arrayed
  perfect
• was arraying
  progressive
• were arraying
  progressive
• had been arraying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will array
  simple
• will have arrayed
  perfect
• will be arraying
  progressive
• will have been arraying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of array

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-French arayer, Old French are(y)er, from Germanic; compare Old English ārǣdan “to prepare,” equivalent to ā- a- ³ + ræde “prompt”

Explanation

An array is a display of something — usually something varied. You might encounter an array of cereal brands in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Your head says to choose the Crunchy Oats 'n' Bran, but your heart wants the Sugar-Coated Chocopuffs. Although the word array comes from the Old French areyer, "to put in order," an array often just comes together. It can be an intentional design of people or features — everything from software packages to fashion shows can have an "impressive array" of components. Or, an array can fall together in nature or by chance: "the clouds became an array of beautiful shapes after the storm."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

array arrays arrayed arraying

Critics have argued that this growing array of services contributes to rising college costs and an emphasis on comforts and conveniences rather than educational value.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

If the merger eventually closes, the new combined company would control a vast array of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Breeding programmes like this have also made setting up additional populations of an array of threatened species possible.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

But this gleaming building and its array of amenities had far exceeded his initial expectations, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Never had there been such an array of people in his establishment.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Competitor Robinsons now touts "28 solar-powered malls", while Ayala has arrays atop 13.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Satellites, moored arrays of sensors and research ships are gathering data from the modern ocean too.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Line arrays work by suspending multiple speaker cabinets in a curved vertical column, allowing sound engineers to precisely shape the direction and throw of audio across a large space.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

This approach eliminates the need for external optics or complicated detector arrays.

From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026

Just before World War I, Harlow Shapley of Missouri devised a technique for measuring the distances to the globular clusters, those lovely spherical arrays of stars which resemble a swarm of bees.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

The photographs were almost absurdly theatrical: silver serving pieces and candelabras, the gilt-and-cream grandeur of the White House, and, arrayed beneath it all, mountains of branded fast-food packaging.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

As Massie frequently notes, the bulk of the outside money arrayed against him has come from three billionaires – Las Vegas casino tycoon Miriam Adleson and hedge fund managers Paul Singer and John Paulson.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

He failed at that, in part because conditions were arrayed against him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

The name gujeolpan refers to nine ingredients on a plate, with eight colorful vegetables or proteins sliced thinly and arrayed around the edge of plate, much like a mouth-watering sundial.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025

There they were, arrayed between the door to the passage and the door out to the terrace: eight of them inside; she couldn’t be sure how many out on the hand itself.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

In arraying himself against adversaries no matter the cost, he has earned an appellation Robert Bolt gave Sir Thomas More: a man for all seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Shirtless, he struts like a rooster in a hen house, arraying himself on the lounge as though it were his personal yoga mat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

But now I presume he will, if only because he’ll want to regain control of the government forces that are fast arraying against him.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2022

By arraying spike proteins on nanoparticles, vaccine developers aim to follow the style of upscale restaurants, where presentation matters nearly as much as the food on the plate.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 15, 2021

He tried to look away from the books, to the guards that were arraying themselves around the pyre.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• batch
• bunch
• bundle
• cluster
• design
• display
• host
• lineup
• lot
• multitude
• pattern
• supply