alignment

noun align·ment \ ə-ˈlīn-mənt \

variants: or less commonly alinement

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of alignment

1 : the act of aligning or state of being aligned; especially : the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts (as of a mechanical or electronic device) in relation to each other

2 a : a forming in line

b : the line thus formed

3 : the ground plan (as of a railroad or highway) in distinction from the profile

4 : an arrangement of groups or forces in relation to one another

new alignments within the political party

See alignment defined for English-language learners

See alignment defined for kids

Examples of alignment in a Sentence

The school has to bring its programs into alignment with state requirements.
New alignments have been created within the political party.

Recent Examples of alignment from the Web

The specific alignment will be finalized during contract negotiation.

— andrew j. hawkins, The Verge, "Elon Musk’s Boring Company approved to build high-speed transit between downtown Chicago and O’Hare Airport," 14 June 2018
Personal chemistry and the alignment of interests are both essential for success, but even then there’s no way to predict the long-term consequences.

— andrew preston, The New Republic, "Will Trump Be Nixon in China?," 11 June 2018
But the new documents released confirm reports of Murray's influence and the alignment of his interests with the Trump administration's.

— chicagotribune.com, "Trump officials took actions on energy policies suggested by coal tycoon, documents show," 7 June 2018
The device splits the display between a left and a right half, or a top and bottom half depending upon the alignment of the screen.

— mark hachman, PCWorld, "How Intel is quietly designing the future of dual-display PCs inside its labs," 4 June 2018
Thus regardless of individual learning style or the alignment of the style with study techniques, many students are adopting strategies that simply do not support comprehension and retention of information.

— cindi may, Scientific American, "The Problem With “Learning Styles”," 29 May 2018
Over a career spanning more than five decades and some 30 books, Roth’s themes were elaborated: lust, Jewishness in its New World colorations, and the large flexions of history that rose from the alignment of the two.

— nathan heller, Vogue, "Remembering Philip Roth, Literary Risk-Taker," 23 May 2018
While the alignment of McCartney's signature style and Markle's affinity for minimal, clean and sleek cuts feels spot-on, McCartney would be an atypical choice for a silhouette of the size and scale of this particular event.

— carrie goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Stella McCartney Is Likely Designing Meghan Markle's Reception Dress," 18 May 2018
Eyelash glue isn’t meant to be ingested, and gluing your teeth together can throw off the natural alignment of your teeth, screwing with your bite.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "This Woman Used Eyelash Glue to "Fix" Her Broken Teeth," 17 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alignment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of alignment

1742

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Mechanical Engineering Terms

centrifuge, differential, flange, lathe, linchpin, pinion, plenum, ratchet, traction

ALIGNMENT Defined for Kids

alignment

noun align·ment \ ə-ˈlīn-mənt \

Definition of alignment for Students

: the state of being arranged in a line or in proper position

The machine was not working properly because its parts were out of alignment.

Learn More about alignment

See words that rhyme with alignment Spanish Central: Translation of alignment Nglish: Translation of alignment for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of alignment for Arabic speakers

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alignment

Definition of alignment

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ALIGNMENT Defined for Kids

alignment

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