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

Bonham Carter left last week, with makers HBO saying "it had become apparent" that the character written for her by creator Mike White "did not align once on set".

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Economists have pointed out that Americans’ spending patterns no longer align with their confidence in the economy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

"This uncertainty is due to limited fossil and ancient genomic data, and to the fact that the fossil record does not always align with expectations from models built using modern DNA," she said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

“We continue to expect that market will test Warsh, particularly in the bond markets, over his commitment to independence and his willingness to diverge from or align with the administration’s rate agenda.”

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

But some of their ideologies didn’t align with Hitler’s.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

Related Words

• adjust
• coordinate
• regulate