align

or a·line

[ uh-lahyn ]

/ əˈlaɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR align ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

to fall or come into line; be in line.

to join with others in a cause.

Nearby words

alif, aliform, aligarh, alight, alighting gear, align, aligning punch, alignment, alignment chart, alignment curve, aligoté

Origin of align

1685–95; < French aligner, equivalent to a- a-⁵ + ligner < Latin līneāre, derivative of līnea line¹

SYNONYMS FOR align

1, 2 straighten.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR align ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

a·lign·er, nounre·a·lign, verbself-a·lign·ing, adjectiveun·a·ligned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aligned

ISIS and the Nusra Front were once aligned under the al Qaeda banner but have been bitter rivals over the past year.
The ISIS Wife Swap Mystery|Jacob Siegel|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Generally, the foreigner is a class of person often aligned with other vulnerable populations like widows and orphans.
Pope Bids Refugees to EU ‘Bienvenido’; Europe Says ‘Non’|Candida Moss|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was far less sense that military rank was aligned with social rank.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Arturo in particular built up the organization and aligned it with the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels in the early 2000s.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali|Jason McGahan|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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 Quagmire|Jamie Dettmer|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Deprez electric marker, aligned with the pneumographic stylus, afforded a time record in quarter seconds.
Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1|Various
When aligned to their places solid march was made down the slope and past our batteries of position.
From Manassas to Appomattox|James Longstreet
The upper electrode may then be placed in position and aligned with the lower.
Motion Picture Operation, Stage Electrics and Illusions|Henry C. Horstmann
There are aligned the social obligations and requirements of the age.
The New Education|Scott Nearing
The tribes were fathered as before, and were aligned as before.
Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County, Vol. 1 (of 2)|William Denison Lyman

British Dictionary definitions for aligned

align

/ (əˈlaɪn) /

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

(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

Word Origin for align

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012