align
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to put things in a straight line or to make them level with each other.
to arrange components or objects into a straight line or to bring them into a correct relative position.
Simple“Make sure you align the edges of the paper before you staple them together.”
In context“The mechanic spent nearly an hour trying to align the wheels perfectly to prevent the car from pulling to the left.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'with'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
to change something so that it matches or works well with another thing.
to organise or adjust different elements so they are consistent or work together effectively.
Simple“The school needs to align its lessons with the new national exams.”
In context“The department head worked closely with the board to align the company's long-term strategy with its current financial capabilities.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
to publicly support a person, a political group, or a country because you share their ideas.
to identify with or support the interests of a particular group, party, or ideology.
Simple“The small country decided to align itself with its stronger neighbours for protection.”
In context“During the conflict, several neutral nations chose to align themselves with the international coalition to ensure regional stability.”
UsageFrequently used as a reflexive verb ('align oneself with').
- 04 C2 Proficiency
to arrange data or code in a specific way so a computer can read it quickly.
to store data in memory at addresses that are multiples of a specific word size to optimise processing speed.
Simple“The software will automatically align the text blocks within the grid.”
In context“The compiler must align the data structures to the processor's cache lines to avoid significant performance penalties during execution.”
Usage closely align
“There has never been a trans woman – a person assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity – on a WNBA roster.”
“Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align in space.”
From Middle English alynen, alinen (“copulate”), from Middle French aligner, from Old French alignier, from a- + lignier, from Latin lineare (“make straight or perpendicular”), from the noun linea (“line”), from līneus (“flaxen; flaxen [thing]”), from līnum (“flax”), likely ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *līnom (compare linen).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.