alinear

Alinear is a Spanish verb that means to place things along a line or to bring them into a common orientation or standard. It can refer to arranging physical objects, aligning ideas, or making elements conform to a predefined plan or rule. The related noun alignment (alineación) denotes the act or result of bringing into line or agreement. Reflexive form, alinearse, is used when a subject aligns itself with a group, idea, or direction.

Etymology

Alinear derives from la línea (line) with the productive prefix a-, forming a verb that expresses the action of putting into line or adjusting to a reference. The sense of alignment extends from the literal idea of matching positions to the figurative sense of concordance with norms, standards, or strategies.

Usage and contexts

In everyday language, alinear describes arranging objects in a row or aligning components in a space, such as books on a shelf or elements in a layout. In design and typography, it refers to positioning text and graphics with consistent margins and orientation, including left, right, center, or justified alignment typically discussed as alignment or alineación.

In organizations and planning, alinear means coordinating actions, goals, or policies to fit a shared strategy, ensuring coherence across departments or projects. In computing and data handling, alinear is used for memory or data alignment—arranging data structures so they meet architecture constraints for performance or correctness.

Examples

Alinéla para que las imágenes queden en una columna continua. El equipo busca alinear sus objetivos con la estrategia corporativa. Los compiladores requieren que las variables estén alineadas en memoria para optimizar el rendimiento.

See also: alineación, alineado, alineamiento.