Arranging things in a straight line or in agreement, or positioning things to match up correctly.
From Old French 'a ligne' meaning to the line, from 'a' (to) and 'ligne' (line, from Latin 'linea'). The term entered English in the 16th century.
Aligning started as a purely physical word—straightening things up—but in modern business English, 'aligning' has become abstract and almost meaningless, as in 'aligning stakeholder values,' showing how technical jargon empties words of precision.
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