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

That same year the American independent filmmaker Sean Baker premiered his comedy caper Tangerine, shot on an iPhone 5s, at Sundance, aligning the emerging category of the cell phone movie with a tradition of scrappy, low-budget ingenuity. —Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

The son of South Dakota Hall of Fame coach Fred Tibbetts, his transition into the WNBA aligns closely with his father’s career. —Annie Costabile, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who sits on the Housing and Homelessness Committee, said Friday the recommendations are intended to better align the city’s homelessness response with local needs while avoiding service disruptions and improving long-term coordination. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026

The low-slung seating position, with heels nearly aligned to hips, takes its cue from motorsport, while the driver’s view is framed by prominent wheel arches that seem to sit at chest level. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 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
• byline
• canine
• carbine

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