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

Under the injunction, transgender people can use single-user restrooms that align with their gender identity. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026

When Christian tours the workroom after the teams have shopped at Mood, his reaction to Andriy’s team seems to align with Bobby’s. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026

The credits would be distributed to those whose property values rose by more than 15% in 2023, which aligns with both the new county law and with a July 4 executive order directing the county to implement the tax program. — Ilana Arougheti july 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Araghchi’s post aligns with the message being sent by Iran’s top military brass. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 23 July 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