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

During the Clinton and Gore era, they were aligned with the Democrats who were very much committed to the future of the knowledge worker. — Nina Verdelli, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

El-Sayed has rejected the DSA label, though many of his positions align with the organization's goals. — Irit Skulnik, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Castro sided with a group of residents who wanted to save a garden that was on the property and argued that the complex did not align with the neighborhood. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

By all accounts, Lin did exactly what Netflix courted him for, and his mind for austerity was aligned with the company’s larger goals. — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for align

• affine
• airline
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline
• canine

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