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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rearrangement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arrangements
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

The US denies its cuts have harmed efforts this time, arguing that they are more "aligned and effective" under the new arrangement and pointing to the $270m it has donated to tackle the epidemic.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

The deal was reported on Tuesday in entertainment news outlet Variety, which is owned by Penske Media and will provide content in the arrangement.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

In the team's latest work, the newly identified superconductors, YRu3B2 and LuRu3B2, owe their properties to electrons forming flat bands within a kagome lattice, a geometric arrangement inspired by traditional Japanese basket weaving patterns.

From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026

Living with parents became a “dominant living arrangement in America for people in this age group,” said Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor who recently wrote the book “You and Your Adult Child.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

If it were just me, I would be very happy with the arrangement.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Related Words

• adjustment
• agreement
• compromise
• deal
• package
• plan
• preparation
• provision
• schedule
• settlement