array

1 of 2

verb

ar·​ray ə-ˈrā 

arrayed; arraying; arrays

transitive verb

1

: to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire : adorn

… he had already arrayed himself in his best clothes.

—Thomas Hardy

2

a

: to set or place in order : draw up, marshal

the forces arrayed against us

b

: to set or set forth in order (something, such as a jury) for the trial of a cause

3

: to arrange or display in or as if in an array

The … data are arrayed in descending order.

—Ed Burnett

arrayer noun

array

2 of 2

noun

1

: an imposing group : large number

faced a whole array of problems

also : variety, assortment

a broad array of styles

2

a

: a regular and imposing grouping or arrangement : order

lined up … in soldierly array

—Donald Barthelme

b

law : an orderly listing of jurors impaneled

3

a

: clothing, attire

b

: rich or beautiful apparel : finery

4

: a body of soldiers : militia

the baron and his feudal array

5

a(1)

: a number of mathematical elements arranged in rows and columns

(2)

: a data structure in which similar elements of data are arranged in a table

b

: a series of statistical data arranged in classes in order of magnitude

6

: a group of elements forming a complete unit

an antenna array

Synonyms

Verb

• adorn
• beautify
• bedeck
• bedizen
• blazon
• caparison
• deck
• decorate
• do
• do up
• doll up
• drape
• dress
• embellish
• emblaze
• emboss
• enrich
• fancify
• fancy up
• festoon
• garnish
• glitz (up)
• grace
• gussy up
• ornament
• pretty (up)
• trim

Noun

• assemblage
• band
• bank
• batch
• battery
• block
• bunch
• clot
• clump
• cluster
• clutch
• collection
• constellation
• group
• grouping
• huddle
• knot
• lot
• muster
• package
• parcel
• passel
• set
• suite

Examples of array in a Sentence

Verb

She arrayed herself in rich velvets and satins.

a door arrayed for the holidays with a beautiful evergreen wreath

Noun

an array of solar panels

an array of baseball gloves in the corner of his room

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The best prospect for peace, experts say, would require Myanmar’s military junta to weaken so badly as to be ready to strike a deal with the armed ethnic groups and resistance forces arrayed against it. —Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2025

Opposition forces share the amorphous goal of making the country a federal democratic union, an arrangement that might accommodate the interests of the diverse factions arrayed against the junta. —Ye Myo Hein, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025

Noun

The Palace is marking this milestone with a special concert featuring music from shows that have played the theater since 2004 performed by an array of Broadway stars. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025

Pritzker has harshly criticized Trump on an array of broad issues and has also noted that the Trump administration has held back some $2 billion in federal funds meant for Illinois. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English arayen, arrayen "to put in order, prepare, marshal (troops), equip, adorn," borrowed from Anglo-French arraier, arreyer, aroier "to arrange, order, marshal, set in order (a jury, assize), equip, attire, adorn" (continental Old French areer), going back to Vulgar Latin *arrēdāre, from Latin ad- ad- + Vulgar Latin *-rēdāre, in *conrēdāre, presumed adaptation of Gothic garedan "to make provision for" — more at curry entry 1

Note: The forms arrai-, aroi- presumably represent generalizations of the tonic stem of areer. The verb *arrēdāre is common to most Romance languages: Old Occitan arezar "to put in order," Catalan arrear "to provide," Spanish, "to adorn, decorate," Italian arredare "to furnish, equip."

Noun

Middle English aray, array, arraye "preparation, arrangement, condition, line of soldiers, equipment, adornment," borrowed from Anglo-French arrai, arraie "order, arrangement, condition, ordered list of jurors, body of men, entourage, equipment," noun derivative of arraier "to order, array entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for array

• airway
• allay
• archway
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret
• betray

Kids Definition

array

1 of 2 verb

ar·​ray ə-ˈrā 

1

: to set in order : draw up

soldiers arrayed for review

2

: to dress especially in fine clothing : adorn

arrayer noun

array

2 of 2 noun

1

: regular order or arrangement

also : persons (as troops) in array

2

: rich or beautiful clothing

3

: an impressive group : large number

a whole array of problems

also : variety sense 2, assortment

4

: a group of mathematical elements (as numbers or letters) arranged in rows and columns

Legal Definition

array

1 of 2 transitive verb

ar·​ray ə-ˈrā 

: to set (a jury) for trial

specifically : to set (a jury) by calling out the names of the jurors one at a time compare impanel

array

2 of 2 noun

: the group of people summoned to serve as jurors from which the jury will be chosen

also : a list of the jurors' names see also challenge to the array at challenge compare venire