alignment

alignment — noun

1. the state or arrangement of things being set in one straight row or in matching

1.nounB2
Definition

the state or arrangement of things being set in one straight row or in matching parallel rows.

Example

The dentist checked the alignment of Nina's teeth before fitting braces.

alignment of teeth

Workers stretched a string to test the alignment of the fence posts.

Common collocations
  • wheel alignment
  • teeth alignment
  • spinal alignment
  • perfect alignment
  • out of alignment
Synonyms
  • positioning

    general term for where parts are placed; less focused on forming a straight line

  • arrangement

    broader and more general; it does not specifically suggest line or parallel order

  • line-up

    informal and often used for people or events rather than precise physical position

Antonyms
  • misalignment

    used when parts are not in the correct line or position

Grammar Patterns

the alignment of + physical objects

in alignment with + object

out of alignment

Usage Note

Often used for parts that should line up exactly, such as teeth, wheels, doors, or posts. Distinguish from sense 3, which is usually about plans, values, or rules matching each other rather than physical objects.

Common Mistakes

The wheels are in alignment to the frame.
The wheels are in alignment with the frame.
after 'in alignment', English normally uses 'with'.
The doctor checked the align of my teeth.
The doctor checked the alignment of my teeth.
the noun is 'alignment', not 'align'.

2. a partnership in which countries, parties, or other groups join forces because w

2.nounC1
Definition

a partnership in which countries, parties, or other groups join forces because working together helps them reach common goals.

Example

The two parties announced an alignment before the city election.

political alignment between parties

After the treaty, military alignment with a larger neighbor reshaped the island's foreign policy.

alignment with + country/group

Common collocations
  • political alignment
  • military alignment
  • an alignment between parties
  • form an alignment
  • strategic alignment
Synonyms
  • alliance

    the closest everyday synonym, especially for countries or political groups

  • coalition

    often temporary and especially common for governments or campaign groups

  • partnership

    broader and more neutral; common in business as well as politics

  • bloc

    used for a recognizable group acting together inside a larger system

Antonyms
  • division

    emphasizes groups separating rather than joining

  • opposition

    suggests active disagreement or being on the other side

Grammar Patterns

an alignment between + groups

an alignment with + country/group

form an alignment

Usage Note

Usually countable and most often used about organized groups rather than private opinions. Common with 'between', 'with', and 'of', especially in political or international news.

Common Mistakes

The country entered alignment with its neighbors.
The country entered an alignment with its neighbors.
this sense is usually countable when it means a political partnership.
She has an alignment with that idea.
She agrees with that idea.
this sense is about groups joining together, not one person's opinion.

3. a relationship in which ideas, plans, actions, or parts match properly and do no

3.nounC1
Definition

a relationship in which ideas, plans, actions, or parts match properly and do not pull in different directions.

Example

There is no alignment between the school's rules and its daily practice.

alignment between + abstract nouns

Her spending habits are not in alignment with her long-term goals.

in alignment with + noun

Common collocations
  • in alignment with
  • out of alignment with
  • bring into alignment
  • policy alignment
  • goal alignment
Synonyms
  • consistency

    focuses on not contradicting something else, often over time

  • harmony

    adds a sense of smooth or pleasing fit, often in relationships or design

  • correspondence

    more formal; stresses a close match between two sets of facts or ideas

  • fit

    plain and common, but less formal and less abstract than 'alignment'

Antonyms
  • conflict

    shows the two things pull against each other

  • mismatch

    a plain word for things that do not suit or match

  • inconsistency

    highlights a lack of internal agreement

Grammar Patterns

in alignment with + noun

out of alignment with + noun

bring something into alignment with + noun

alignment between + plans/rules/goals

Usage Note

Very often used with 'with', 'between', and the phrases 'in alignment' or 'into alignment'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about things matching or agreeing, not about groups forming a joint partnership.

Common Mistakes

Our goals are in alignment to the budget.
Our goals are in alignment with the budget.
use 'with', not 'to', after this phrase.
The company made alignment with new rules.
The company brought its policy into alignment with the new rules.
English usually uses 'bring into alignment' for active change.

4. work on getting AI systems to follow human goals and safety rules, so their acti

4.nounC2
Definition

work on getting AI systems to follow human goals and safety rules, so their actions stay within what people want or value.

Example

The lab hired philosophers and engineers to work on AI alignment.

AI alignment

Researchers questioned the chatbot's AI alignment after it suggested unsafe diet tips.

Common collocations
  • AI alignment
  • alignment research
  • alignment problem
  • human-aligned AI
  • value alignment
Synonyms
  • AI safety

    broader field; includes alignment but also testing, security, and deployment risks

  • value alignment

    narrower phrase that stresses matching human values in particular

  • AI governance

    more about rules and institutions than about model behavior itself

Antonyms
  • misalignment

    used when an AI system follows goals that conflict with human intentions

Grammar Patterns

AI alignment

alignment of AI systems with human values

work on alignment

Usage Note

Normally appears as the fixed term 'AI alignment' in technology and policy discussion. Distinguish from sense 3: here the subject is specifically the behavior of artificial intelligence, not ordinary plans or organizations.

Common Mistakes

The company studies alignment of AI for make it safe.
The company studies AI alignment to make its systems safer.
the usual term is 'AI alignment', and English uses 'to make' before the purpose.
AI alignment means the robot agrees with me.
AI alignment means the system follows human goals and safety limits.
this field is about control and values, not simple personal agreement.

Word family

  • align
    verbB2
  • aligned
    adjectiveC1
  • misalignment
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

For sense 3, 'alignment' means that two or more things fit each other properly. 'Agreement' is often narrower: it usually means people share the same opinion or have reached a decision. 'Consistency' stresses the absence of contradiction, especially across time or across different statements. 'Harmony' adds a softer feeling of balance or pleasant fit, often in relationships, design, or sound. 'Coordination' is more about organized action, with people or parts working together at the right time. So a team may be in agreement about a plan, but the budget, schedule, and staff roles still need alignment. In the same way, dancers need coordination, while a company's values and actions need alignment.

alignment ↗agreement ↗consistency ↗harmony ↗coordination ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • in alignment with
  • out of alignment
  • bring into alignment

Prepositions

  • alignment with
  • alignment between
  • alignment of

Etymology

FrenchLatinEnglish

'Alignment' is built from the verb 'align' and the noun ending '-ment'. 'Align' came into English in the late 1600s from French 'aligner', literally 'put into line'. That French verb goes back to 'ligne', meaning 'line', from Latin 'linea'. The noun 'alignment' appeared later in English and first referred to things being set in line; from there it widened to political groupings, abstract matching between plans or values, and, more recently, the technical idea of AI systems staying within human aims.