Meaning & use
alignment
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Meanings
noununcountable
The correct positioning of things in a straight line or in the right relation to each other.
Grammar: Often with in or out of: the wheels are out of alignment.
Patterns
- in alignment
- out of alignment
- the alignment of something
The mechanic checked the alignment of the front wheels.
The planets were in rare alignment last night.
A crooked shelf means the alignment of the brackets is off.
noununcountable
A state of agreement or cooperation between people, groups or plans.
Grammar: Used about goals, values or policy: alignment with the strategy.
Patterns
- alignment with something
- alignment between X and Y
The team needs better alignment with company goals.
There is a close alignment between the two parties on climate policy.
Managers worked to ensure alignment across departments.
nouncountableformal
A group of countries or people who support the same side in politics.
Grammar: Has a plural: new political alignments.
Patterns
- an alignment of something
The war created a new alignment of European powers.
Voters' alignments shifted after the election.
Word forms
| plural | alignments |
|---|
Common combinations
- out of alignment
- The wheels were out of alignment.
- in alignment with
- The plan is in alignment with our values.
- wheel alignment
- He booked a wheel alignment after hitting a pothole.
- strategic alignment
- The board stressed strategic alignment across offices.
- political alignment
- Her political alignment is hard to guess.
- text alignment
- Change the text alignment to the center.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arrangement
- Arrangement is a broader word for how things are set out, whereas alignment is about lining up or matching.
- agreement
- Agreement means having the same view or a deal, while alignment adds the sense of heading in the same direction.
- adjustment
- Adjustment is the act of changing something slightly, whereas alignment is the resulting state.
- coordination
- Coordination suggests organizing activities to work together, whereas alignment suggests matching goals or position.
Opposites
Word family
- align verb
- to put in a line or to match with something
- aligned adjective
- lined up or in agreement
- misalignment noun
- incorrect positioning or lack of agreement
- realignment noun
- a change in position or in political groupings
- nonaligned adjective
- not supporting any major side
Commonly confused: alignment or allignment?
alignment vs allignment
This is a common misspelling; the correct spelling has one l after the an and one g.
Practice
The manager wants better _____ between each team's goals and the company's mission.
Choose one answer.
Alignment between An and B means that they match. Assignment is a task, and adjustment and arrangement do not take the between pattern in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alignment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.