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

After the board released its 2024 guidance, legislators passed a law requiring districts to align their cellphone policies accordingly. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026

Threat debt gives three groups something concrete to align on, which in my experience is harder than the technical work. — Jonathan Baker, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The policy introduced by the WTA last month aligns with the new International Olympic Committee eligibility policy ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026

While responding to a question on how state government can be modernized, Klobuchar and Demuth aligned on investments in upgrading IT infrastructure. — Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 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