alignment

The word “alignment” means the arrangement of things in a straight line, or the state of being correctly positioned relative to each other. In plain terms, being lined up correctly, or being in agreement with other people, values, or goals.

“Alignment” is pronounced uh-LYN-muhnt (/əˈlaɪn.mənt/ in IPA).

Here is “alignment” used in a sentence: “The mechanic checked the wheel alignment after the tyre change.”

“Alignment” is a noun.

The word “alignment” comes from French. From French alignement, from aligner ("to align").

“Alignment” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Alignment” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the arrangement of things in a straight line, or the state of being correctly positioned relative to each other.

"Alignment" is the noun describing the arrangement or state itself, while "aligned" is the adjective form describing something that has been brought into that state. You would say "the wheels are out of alignment" but "the wheels are aligned."

Beyond describing a straight-line arrangement, "alignment" also describes agreement or cooperation between people, groups, or goals, such as "alignment between departments on strategy."

A common example is "wheel alignment" or "car alignment," referring to the correct positioning of a vehicle's wheels relative to each other. Another is "team alignment," describing agreement on shared goals.