Synonyms

arrange

American

[uh-reynj] / əˈreɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

to place in proper, desired, or convenient order; adjust properly.

to arrange books on a shelf.

Synonyms:

classify, dispose, sort, group, array
to come to an agreement or understanding regarding.

The two sides arranged the sale of the property.
to prepare or plan.

to arrange the details of a meeting.
Music. to adapt (a composition) for a particular style of performance by voices or instruments.

verb (used without object)

to make plans or preparations.

They arranged for a conference on Wednesday.
to make a settlement; come to an agreement.

to arrange with the coal company for regular deliveries.

arrange British

/ əˈreɪndʒ /

verb

(tr) to put into a proper, systematic, or decorative order
(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to arrive at an agreement or understanding about; settle
to make plans or preparations in advance (for something)

we arranged for her to be met
(tr) to adapt (a musical composition) for performance in a different way, esp on different instruments
(tr) to adapt (a play, etc) for broadcasting
to come to an agreement

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of arrange

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English arayngen, from Middle French arangier; equivalent to a- ⁵ + range

Explanation

Think it might be fun to be a party planner? These highly organized people arrange everything from invitations to music, food, even the lighting in the room, meaning they put everything in order. At a concert, you look in your program to see what piece is next. There's a title, followed by the composer's name. Under that is another name, preceded by "arranged by." What does that mean? Every piece was originally written with a certain instrument or instruments in mind. In order for that music to be played by other instruments, it first has to be adapted, meaning someone has to arrange it. A symphony for kazoos? You can arrange that.

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Vocabulary lists containing arrange

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

arrange arranges arranged arranging

The capacity to arrange shapes and lines in organized configurations may represent an important sign of emerging abstract thought, a major development in the evolution of human cognition.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

A group of international journalists and the president of Pakistan's Federal Union of Journalists are trying to arrange a meeting with the information minister to raise their concerns.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Harbaugh asked and asked and asked, and finally got a yes when he helped arrange for in-home care for the Adolphs for several hours a day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Hosts arrive early and arrange roughly 10 folding chairs in a loose circle, then pop up a blue canopy tent that can be spotted from 50 feet away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

“I’m opening these last crates. Then I’m going to clean and arrange everything.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

His patch is on top of an empty water tank, where he spreads out a sheet and arranges two pillows.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Citizen detectives like Diarra Brickland, who arranges her messy life around ensuring that the people and prizes typically overlooked or quietly erased by the mainstream keep being seen, are even less common.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

"Enforced returns", which includes deportations, means the government arranges transport to return people to a different country.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Finley’s piece arranges ceramic vessels inside shadow-box shelving that the artist describes as containers for memory — some “you love to take out and peek into,” others that “should just stay shut forever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

Lourdes arranges for her eldest brother, Marco Antonio Zablah, to take him in.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Shanks, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, said he had arranged for Swinney to have a security briefing following his comments in April.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

The same scenes of excitement played out on Barcelona's iconic Montjuic hill, where hundreds of people had arranged to meet to enjoy the event.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Although dark matter cannot be seen directly, its gravitational influence helps determine how galaxies form and how matter is arranged across the large-scale structure of the Universe.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Metal nanoparticles with uniform sizes and spacing were arranged in ordered patterns, allowing the researchers to examine their catalytic roles much more precisely.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

There was also a chess set with the pieces arranged in the middle of a game.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

They achieve this by arranging different components within tightly controlled spaces, where molecules can move, interact, and react under carefully regulated conditions.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

Aspiring parents know the first IVF cycle can run over $15,000, and arranging a private adoption will far exceed that amount.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

Like other students, Azhe was responsible for arranging his own placement, and with no clear career path in mind, he chose an opportunity that would allow him to explore a completely different environment.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

To promote it, the company is enlisting more than 200 creators, from professional influencers to niche fans of pottery, crafts or flower arranging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Colton was arranging a pyramid of power drills right beside the front door.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023