array

American  

[uh-ray] / əˈreɪ /

verb (used with object)

• arrays,
  present (3rd person singular)
• arrayed,
  past participle,  past
• arraying
  present participle

1. 

   to place in proper or desired order; marshal.

   Napoleon arrayed his troops for battle.

   Synonyms:

   dispose, order, range, arrange

2. to clothe with garments, especially of an ornamental kind; dress up; deck out.

   She arrayed herself in furs and diamonds.

   Synonyms:

   decorate, adorn, ornament, attire, dress, apparel

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noun

• arrays
  plural

1. order or arrangement, as of troops drawn up for battle.

   Synonyms:

   disposition

2. military force, especially a body of troops.

3. a large and impressive grouping or organization of things.

   He couldn't dismiss the array of facts.

   Synonyms:

   exhibition, exhibit, show

4. regular order or arrangement; series.

   an array of figures.

5. a large group, number, or quantity of people or things.

   an impressive array of scholars; an imposing array of books.

6. attire; dress.

   in fine array.

   Synonyms:

   raiment

7. an arrangement of interrelated objects or items of equipment for accomplishing a particular task.

   thousands of solar cells in one vast array.

8. Mathematics, Statistics.

   1. an arrangement of a series of terms according to value, as from largest to smallest.

   2. an arrangement of a series of terms in some geometric pattern, as in a matrix.

9. Computers. a block of related data elements, each of which is usually identified by one or more subscripts.

10. Radio. antenna array.

array British  

/ əˈreɪ /

noun

1. an impressive display or collection

2. an orderly or regular arrangement, esp of troops in battle order

3. poetic rich clothing; apparel

4. maths a sequence of numbers or symbols in a specified order

5. maths a set of numbers or symbols arranged in rows and columns, as in a determinant or matrix

6. electronics an arrangement of aerials spaced to give desired directional characteristics, used esp in radar

7. law a panel of jurors

8. the arming of military forces

9. computing a regular data structure in which individual elements may be located by reference to one or more integer index variables, the number of such indices being the number of dimensions in the array

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verb

1. to dress in rich attire; adorn

2. to arrange in order (esp troops for battle); marshal

3. law to draw up (a panel of jurors)

array Scientific  

/ ə-rā′ /

1. Mathematics A rectangular arrangement of quantities in rows and columns, as in a matrix.

2. Numerical data ordered in a linear fashion, by magnitude.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• arrayal
  noun
• arrayer
  noun
• unarrayed
  adjective
• well-arrayed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arrays
  plural

Participles

• arraying
  present
• arrayed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• array
  simple
• arrays
  simple
• have arrayed
  perfect
• has arrayed
  perfect
• am arraying
  progressive
• are arraying
  progressive
• is arraying
  progressive
• have been arraying
  perfect progressive
• has been arraying
  perfect progressive

Past

• arrayed
  simple
• had arrayed
  perfect
• was arraying
  progressive
• were arraying
  progressive
• had been arraying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will array
  simple
• will have arrayed
  perfect
• will be arraying
  progressive
• will have been arraying
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of array

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-French arayer, Old French are(y)er, from Germanic; compare Old English ārǣdan “to prepare,” equivalent to ā- a- ³ + ræde “prompt”

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Explanation

An array is a display of something — usually something varied. You might encounter an array of cereal brands in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Your head says to choose the Crunchy Oats 'n' Bran, but your heart wants the Sugar-Coated Chocopuffs. Although the word array comes from the Old French areyer, "to put in order," an array often just comes together. It can be an intentional design of people or features — everything from software packages to fashion shows can have an "impressive array" of components. Or, an array can fall together in nature or by chance: "the clouds became an array of beautiful shapes after the storm."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

array arrays arrayed arraying

Planning a trip, which confronts would-be travelers with a bewildering array of decisions and reservations to nail down, is one of their most promising functions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

“The Greatest” is the latest in a voluminous array of books, documentaries and films created over the years about the larger-than-life figure whose fame intersected sports, entertainment and political and religious lines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Qiu, who has passports from Cambodia, St. Lucia and Turkey, helped Prince Group launder its funds through an array of money-lending services and business ventures like wine companies, it said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Management in August said changes to its McValue discount menu, combined with an array of different promotions, led to questions from consumers and complications for staff.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The Zeitouns were proud, and there was plenty of sibling rivalry that had pushed them all to an array of achievements—all of them measured against the deeds of Mohammed.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Families had hired bands, set up sprawling arrays of tents and decorated chapels with portraits of their late loved ones inside.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Together, the eight new arrays will increase the station's available power by as much as 30%, raising its electricity generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

These arrays use the remarkably regular radio pulses emitted by rapidly rotating neutron stars, known as pulsars, as precise cosmic clocks.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

While some surrounding galleries don’t jell as well—partly because their themes bleed into one another—they nevertheless present intriguing arrays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The excavation of the Mary Rose yielded one of the largest and most amazing arrays of artifacts ever recovered.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Five eyeball-style air vents, with illuminated bezels and metallic accents, are arrayed across the dash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

U.S. officials and executives rise respectfully when Rodríguez enters the ornate rooms in the Miraflores palace to settle into the central chair, the visitors arrayed before her in rows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

He failed at that, in part because conditions were arrayed against him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

Collectively, they form the largest US presence arrayed in and around Latin America in decades.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025

The square was dominated by a white marble statue of a headless man in impossibly ornate armor, astride a warhorse similarly arrayed.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

In arraying himself against adversaries no matter the cost, he has earned an appellation Robert Bolt gave Sir Thomas More: a man for all seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

The daughter of a textile trader, Ms. Shah traces her affinity for abstraction and craft to growing up with stacks of fabrics and swatches arraying her home.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

He sits in a corner of the restaurant, arraying three sheep carcasses before him, then slices and organizes the meat into neat piles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2022

Whether the photographer is shooting on the street or arraying gray test strips to suggest stripe paintings drained of color, he’s chronicling the passage of time.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2021

He tried to look away from the books, to the guards that were arraying themselves around the pyre.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

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