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

The French documentary is set inside the country’s prison officer academy, where the film observes trainees as their language, movements and certainties gradually align with the institution around them. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 May 2026

In the new statement, Nike noted that the unified Nike App and Snkrs team will be aligned with business partners at Nike’s Philip H Knight headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. —Katie Abel, Footwear News, 9 May 2026

Her success brought both raves and snark, but a thing that could boldly be said of her whole deal was that it was aligned with counterculture even as it was subsumed by the mainstream. —Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 9 May 2026

The rare flower is known to add luck and happiness to those who adorn their space with its fortune, which is why the water bearer is the ideal sign to align with it. —Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 May 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