align definition

English

Alternative forms

• aline (obsolete)

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈlaɪn/, /æˈlaɪn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪn

Verb

align (third-person singular simple present aligns, present participle aligning, simple past and past participle aligned)

1. (intransitive) To form a line; to fall into line.

   The pedestrians aligned in such a way that from above they made a pyramidal pattern.

2. (transitive) To adjust or form to a line; to range or form in line; to bring into line.
3. (transitive, computing) To store (data) in a way that is consistent with the memory architecture, i.e. by beginning each item at an offset equal to some multiple of the word size.
4. (intransitive) To identify with, match, or support the behaviour, thoughts, etc. of another person, organization, or country.

   Synonyms: ally, support

5. (bioinformatics) To organize a linear arrangement of DNA, RNA or protein sequences which have regions of similarity.

Derived terms

• alignment
• non-aligned
• stars are aligned, stars align

Translations

Anagrams

• Gilan, Glina, Laing, Langi, Liang, algin, ganil, liang, ligan, linga