Align

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈlaɪn/

Definitions

1. To position or adjust elements so they correspond correctly or match up precisely ; to bring entities into cooperation or agreement for a common purpose ; to adjust parts so they form a proper or intended relationship
2. To set objects or text in a correct or consistent arrangement relative to each other ; to coordinate actions or policies to ensure mutual support ; to bring different groups or ideas into conformity or synchronization
3. To arrange components in a straight line or proper order ; to unite with others in a shared interest or goal ; to adjust parts to function harmoniously together

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "align" is that its oldest English sense was not about lines at all. Middle English "alynen" meant "copulate," a use that has long since dropped out of the language, and the verb only drifted toward arranging things in a row later on. Its trail begins with flax. Latin "līnum" was the plant whose fibres made linen, and the adjective "līneus" meant "flaxen," or something made of flax. From there came "linea," the thread or cord, and then "lineare," to make something straight, as a stretched thread would be. Those Latin words travelled through Old French "lignier" and "aligner," which carried the sense of bringing things into a straight line. The prefix a- added the idea of movement toward, so to align is to bring one thing toward another's line. English borrowed the word through Middle French, and its modern meaning of arranging things in a straight row, or of bringing parts into agreement, developed from that Latin sense of straightness.

Synonyms: straighten, adjust, arrange, line up, coordinate

Antonyms: disarrange, displace, misalign, scatter, dissociate