align

American  

[uh-lahyn] / əˈlaɪn /

Rarely aline

verb (used with object)

1. to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line.

   Synonyms:

   straighten

2. to bring into a line or alignment.

   Synonyms:

   straighten

3. to bring into cooperation or agreement with a particular group, party, cause, etc..

   He aligned himself with the liberals.

4. 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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fall or come into line; be in line.

2. to join with others in a cause.

align British  

/ əˈlaɪn /

verb

1. to place or become placed in a line

2. to bring (components or parts, such as the wheels of a car) into proper or desirable coordination or relation

3. to bring (a person, country, etc) into agreement or cooperation with the policy, etc of another person or group

4. (tr) psychol to integrate or harmonize the aims, practices, etc of a group

5. (usually foll by with) psychol to identify with or match the behaviour, thoughts, etc of another person

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Other Word Forms

• aligner
  noun
• realign
  verb
• self-aligning
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

“As we move through the year, we will continue to manage costs and focus on revenue growth to align resources with the high-growth, high-value areas of the business,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Since the behavioral data did not always align perfectly with the species in that phylogeny, the researchers simplified the evolutionary tree to 44 genera, along with five families and one superfamily.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

She and Miranda align in a way that neither of them ever thought possible.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt has drawn support from politicians and media figures who align themselves with President Trump, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who’s running for governor, and podcaster Joe Rogan.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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

Related Words

• adjust
• coordinate
• regulate