noun

alignment

uh-LYNE-munt/əˈlaɪnmənt/

Arrangement in a common line or corresponding positions.

The straightedge keeps the five wooden blocks in perfect alignment.

Five identical wooden blocks arranged in one perfectly straight row, with their front edges flush against a plain straightedge, visibly demonstrating alignment.

Etymology

aFrenchto

+lignLatinline

+mentFrenchaction or result

The pieces express bringing things into a line. That concrete image underlies both straight-line arrangement and the broader sense of placing things in their proper relative positions.

In context

Brian Sutterer MD0:58

where the toes are pointed forward, the shin is forward, the femur is forward. So everything is in this consistent alignment

AJ Brown Limps to Locker Room with Ankle Injury

More examples

The planets appear in an unusual alignment tonight.
Our goals are in close alignment with the school's priorities.
The editor corrects the uneven alignment of the columns.

Forms

alignment · alignments

align verb — To arrange in corresponding positions or agreement.

Similar words

arrangement: Broader; need not involve straight lines or corresponding positions.
agreement: Concerns compatible views rather than physical positioning.