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arrangement

American  
[uh-reynj-muhnt] / əˈreɪndʒ mənt /

noun

  • arrangements
    plural
  1. an act of arranging; state of being arranged.

  2. the manner or way in which things are arranged.

    a tactful arrangement of the seating at dinner.

  3. a final settlement; adjustment by agreement.

    The arrangement with the rebels lasted only two weeks.

  4. Usually arrangements. preparatory measures; plans; preparations.

    They made arrangements for an early departure.

  5. something arranged in a particular way.

    a floral arrangement; the arrangement of chairs for the seminar.

  6. Music.

    1. the adaptation of a composition to voices or instruments, or to a new purpose.

    2. a piece so adapted.


idioms

  1. final arrangements, the planning or scheduling of funeral services and burial.

    Final arrangements are still pending.

arrangement British  
/ əˈreɪndʒmənt /

noun

  1. the act of arranging or being arranged

  2. the form in which things are arranged

    he altered the arrangement of furniture in the room

  3. a thing composed of various ordered parts; the result of arranging

    a flower arrangement

  4. (often plural) a preparatory measure taken or plan made; preparation

  5. an agreement or settlement; understanding

  6. an adaptation of a piece of music for performance in a different way, esp on different instruments from those for which it was originally composed

  7. an adaptation (of a play, etc) for broadcasting

"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

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of arrangement

From French, dating back to 1720–30; see origin at arrange, -ment

Explanation

When you organize things in an orderly way, the result is called an arrangement. If you admire your friend's arrangement of his living room furniture, you might go home and make a similar arrangement. Your brother might keep an arrangement of Lego creations on his desk, and you could put an arrangement of wildflowers in a vase in the middle of your kitchen table. Another kind of arrangement is one you make when you negotiate an agreement with another person: "We have an arrangement — she gives me a ride to school and I walk her dog in the afternoon." The Old French root, arengier, means "to set in a row."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing arrangement

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:

The deal was replaced last year by an arrangement giving Netflix a first look at any pitches from the couple.

From BBC Aug. 22, 2026

By agreeing to the arrangement, users were signed up for a scheme where they agreed to purchase a certain number of products over a specific amount of time at full price.

From Salon Aug. 21, 2026

Hilton signed off on the custody arrangement in which Lavandeira will handle parental responsibilities, including enrolling the children in school, overseeing their medical care and anything else that may arise while Hilton navigates recovery.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

Netflix declined to renew the deal, instead opting for a first-look arrangement that ended its funding of the company.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 20, 2026

Small red and yellow flowers and a trail of ivy spill out of the basket beneath them, and a tiny model of the medicine wheel on a spike adorns the center of the arrangement.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Security arrangements for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their return to the UK are a "private matter", Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said.

From BBC Aug. 20, 2026

One of the most striking arrangements was located in the southeastern part of the chamber.

From Science Daily Aug. 19, 2026

"Until such time as evidence or material is available to show that government hospitals are unable to provide this type of treatment or cannot do so, such arrangements are normally not made," Tarar said.

From Barron's Aug. 19, 2026

The episode demonstrated that where interests converge, Israel and the new Syrian government can address concrete security threats through U.S.-mediated, verifiable arrangements rather than confrontation.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 16, 2026

“There has not been any change made about your own arrangements? You will not be summoned to leave England sooner than you expected?”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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