align

verb

ə-ˈlīn 

variants or less commonly aline

aligned also alined; aligning also alining; aligns also alines

transitive verb

1

: to bring into line or alignment

aligned the books on the shelf

2

: to array on the side of or against a party or cause

He aligned himself with the protesters.

intransitive verb

1

: to get or fall into line

He aligned with his friends against a common enemy.

2

: to be in or come into precise adjustment or correct relative position

Negative ends of molecules align with positive ends of other molecules.

aligner noun

Examples of align in a Sentence

He aligned the two holes so he could put the screw through them.

The two parts of the machine are not properly aligned.

The text aligns with the bottom of the picture.

The schools had to align their programs with state requirements.

She is aligning with other senators to oppose his nomination.

Recent Examples on the Web

Companies can align with Indigenous communities by engaging with them based on free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) partnerships. —Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024

The analysis by the California Department of Education, or CDE, as laid out in its report to the Murrieta district, aligns closely with that of the judge in the Chino Valley case. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

After more than a century of divergence, animal welfarism and conservation may once more align, potentially to the benefit of the wild creatures whose lives have been immiserated by human activity. —Ben Goldfarb, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

This family-friendly approach — bright, broad, unironic — aligns with the musical’s legacy as a VHS favorite, but even kids could use help knowing where to look. —Naveen Kumar, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024

And whenever lines are drawn within the group, James is usually aligned with the girls. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 Apr. 2024

This data aligns with how extreme heat events in the U.S., and around the globe, are becoming more frequent and more intense. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024

Now aligned with Peterson, the next major task for Schnall and Plotkin is tabbing someone as Clifford’s successor. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2024

On the images from Eddington’s and Dyson’s expeditions, the stars were not aligned. —Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French aligner, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + ligne line, from Latin linea

First Known Use

circa 1693, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing align

• align oneself with

Kids Definition

align

verb

variants also aline

ə-ˈlīn 

1

: to bring into or be in line or alignment

2

: to cause to be for or against something (as a belief or political party)

aligned himself with the opposition

aligner noun