alignment
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the arrangement of things in a straight line or in their correct relative positions.
the state of being arranged in a straight line or in correct relative positions.
Simple“The wheels on the car were out of alignment, making it pull to the left.”
In context“The architect ensured the perfect alignment of the pillars with the central hallway to create a sense of symmetry.”
SynonymsAntonymsdisarraymisalignment - 02 C1 Advanced
an agreement between groups, countries, or people who have the same goals.
the act of agreeing with or supporting a particular group, ideology, or set of goals.
Simple“The company's new strategy is in alignment with its environmental goals.”
In context“The political alignment of the two nations shifted significantly following the signing of the new trade agreement.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
when three or more planets or stars move into a straight line.
the positioning of three or more celestial bodies in a straight line.
Simple“A rare alignment of five planets will be visible in the night sky this week.”
In context“The alignment of the sun, moon, and earth during an eclipse provides a unique opportunity for solar research.”
Synonymsconjunctionsyzygy - 04 C1 Advanced
making sure that artificial intelligence shares the same goals and values as humans.
the process of ensuring that the goals and behaviors of an artificial intelligence system are consistent with human values.
Simple“Researchers are working on AI alignment to prevent computers from making dangerous decisions.”
In context“The challenge of value alignment remains a central concern for developers of advanced large language models.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
the moral or ethical personality of a character in a game.
a categorization of a character's ethical and moral perspective, typically along axes of good versus evil and law versus chaos.
Simple“My character has a 'lawful good' alignment, so he always follows the rules.”
In context“The player chose a chaotic neutral alignment to allow for more unpredictable decision-making during the campaign.”
Synonyms
“Photograph: Bettmann Archive Today we understand that eclipses occur when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, a rare three-way alignment known as a syzygy .”
“The shadow, or "umbra", cast by the alignment of Sun and Moon creates a strange twilight during which temperatures drop, shadows appear at strange angles and some animals go to sleep.”
From French alignement, by surface analysis, align + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.