align
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Workforce systems increasingly align with AI-industry labor demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
But more than that, it obscures the reality and erases the history of transgender lives by diminishing the significant time, money, and effort many transgender people spend to align their body with their sex.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
As the laser's electric field rotates, gas molecules align with it and begin spinning.
From Science Daily • Jul. 4, 2026
“This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
Subsequent efforts to align musical pace with horological time, however, failed to ignite general enthusiasm; indeed, others were still attempting to match musical pulse with less scientific external sources.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
