align

American  

[uh-lahyn] / əˈlaɪn /

Rarely aline

verb (used with object)

1. to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line.

   Synonyms:

   straighten

2. to bring into a line or alignment.

   Synonyms:

   straighten

3. to bring into cooperation or agreement with a particular group, party, cause, etc..

   He aligned himself with the liberals.

4. to adjust (two or more components of an electronic circuit) to improve the response over a frequency band, as to align the tuned circuits of a radio receiver for proper tracking throughout its frequency range, or a television receiver for appropriate wide-band responses.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to fall or come into line; be in line.

2. to join with others in a cause.

align British  

/ əˈlaɪn /

verb

1. to place or become placed in a line

2. to bring (components or parts, such as the wheels of a car) into proper or desirable coordination or relation

3. to bring (a person, country, etc) into agreement or cooperation with the policy, etc of another person or group

4. (tr) psychol to integrate or harmonize the aims, practices, etc of a group

5. (usually foll by with) psychol to identify with or match the behaviour, thoughts, etc of another person

---

Other Word Forms

• aligner noun
• realign verb
• self-aligning adjective

Etymology

Origin of align

First recorded in 1685–95; from French aligner, equivalent to a- “toward” + ligner, from Latin līneāre, derivative of līnea “line”; a- ⁵, line ¹

Explanation

To align means to bring something into a straight line, or an easy agreement. If you always park on an angle and people are leaving mean notes on your windshield, learn to align the car with the parking space. Align comes from the French a, meaning "to" and ligne meaning "line," and it means to bring something into line with something else. This can be literal. If you are hanging a painting, you'll want to align it with the window frame. The line can also be metaphorical. If you run for office, your political opinions will need to be aligned with those of your supporters.

Example Sentences

Michael Vermeer, a physical scientist at Rand Corporation, said that we have not yet figured out how to align models to human values, yet we are “deploying them as highly capable agents.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

It does that via its "foreign direct product rule", which forces foreign companies to align with US rules if the goods they are exporting contain US parts, or are derived from US technology.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

These findings, published in Nature, align with Wang's earlier work, which predicted the chemical consequences of such discharges.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

For about 53 minutes, their spacecraft will perfectly align with the Moon and the Sun, causing the star to disappear from view.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

His aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents align themselves against one another.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• adjust
• coordinate
• regulate