alignment

[ uh-lahyn-muhnt ]

noun

1. an adjustment to a line; arrangement in a straight line.
2. the line or lines so formed.
3. the proper adjustment of the components of an electronic circuit, machine, etc., for coordinated functioning:

   The front wheels of the car are out of alignment.

4. a state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups, nations, etc., with a common cause or viewpoint.
5. a ground plan of a railroad or highway.
6. Archaeology. a line or an arrangement of parallel or converging lines of upright stones or menhirs.

alignment

/ əˈlaɪnmənt /

noun

1. arrangement in a straight line
2. the line or lines formed in this manner
3. alliance or union with a party, cause, etc
4. proper or desirable coordination or relation of components
5. a ground plan of a railway, motor road, etc
6. archaeol an arrangement of one or more ancient rows of standing stones, of uncertain significance
7. psychol integration or harmonization of aims, practices, etc within a group
8. psychol identification with or matching of the behaviour, thoughts, etc of another person

Other Words From

• nona·linement noun
• rea·lignment noun
• self-a·lignment noun
• self-a·linement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of alignment¹

First recorded in 1780–90; align + -ment; replacing earlier alignement, from French

Example Sentences

People have different fictions of the world and sometimes they are pretty brutally out of alignment.

From Nautilus

Importantly, Outbrain’s profits are achieved in alignment with our publisher partners, while standing by all of our commitments to them.

From Digiday

Once the disk was split, the inner ring was free to swing around the stars, settling into its skewed alignment.

From Science News

From my subsequent conversations with the team, it seems like there will be alignment lights to help track when the charger is aligned with the device.

From Singularity Hub 

Blade alignment stays where it needs to be, thanks to the one-touch lock feature on the slide fence.

From Popular-Science

Curbs at nearly the exact same spot on opposite sides of the street are popped out of alignment.

From The Daily Beast

At least father and son were in alignment on this central thesis: acting “gay”—bad; being thought of as gay—bad.

From The Daily Beast

She makes bold statements that IQ, law-abiding or -breaking tendencies and political alignment are all genetically determined.

From The Daily Beast

It quickly became clear that plenty of wine and good food would keep us in harmonious alignment.

From The Daily Beast

Other theories hold that it was a supernova or an alignment of two or three planets.

From The Daily Beast

They are in perfect alignment to start, and they lift their feet practically in exact time one with the other.

From Project Gutenberg

To have the pipe in true alignment, the hangers must be hung and placed in line.

From Project Gutenberg

In the column of squads, each rank preserves the alignment toward the side of the guide.

From Project Gutenberg

Deployed lines preserve a general alignment toward the guide, as prescribed in par.

From Project Gutenberg

Such matters as preserving division alignment were of no interest to these men.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• adjustment