align
or a·line
[uh-lahyn]
- to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line.
- to bring into a line or alignment.
- 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.
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- to fall or come into line; be in line.
- to join with others in a cause.
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Origin of align
Synonyms
See more synonyms for align on Thesaurus.com1, 2. straighten.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for aligned
Contemporary Examples
ISIS and the Nusra Front were once aligned under the al Qaeda banner but have been bitter rivals over the past year.
Generally, the foreigner is a class of person often aligned with other vulnerable populations like widows and orphans.
There was far less sense that military rank was aligned with social rank.
Arturo in particular built up the organization and aligned it with the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels in the early 2000s.
Although it is the official al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, al Nusra is aligned with major Islamist rebel militias in the country.
Obama’s Arab Backers May Draw the U.S. Deep Into the Mideast QuagmireJamie Dettmer
September 25, 2014
Historical Examples
There are aligned the social obligations and requirements of the age.
The New EducationScott Nearing
Carefully and surely he aligned the ship with the rock in speed and direction.
Gold in the SkyAlan Edward Nourse
We were all aligned but the old pacer—why didn't you let us go?
The Bishop of CottontownJohn Trotwood Moore
The torches were ready—the men were aligned in front with deadly shotguns.
The Bishop of CottontownJohn Trotwood Moore
The lodges were aligned in double row, with a wide avenue between them.
The Wild HuntressMayne Reid
align
- 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
- (tr usually foll by with) 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
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Word Origin
C17: from Old French aligner, from à ligne into line
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for aligned
align
v.
early 15c., "to copulate" (of wolves, dogs), literally "to range (things) in a line," from Middle French aligner, from Old French alignier "set, lay in line," from à "to" (see ad-) + lignier "to line," from Latin lineare, from linea (see line (n.)). Transitive or reflective sense of "to fall into line" is from 1853. International political sense is attested from 1934. No justification for the French spelling, and aline was an early native form. Related: Aligned; aligning.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper