array
Americanverb (used with object)
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to place in proper or desired order; marshal.
Napoleon arrayed his troops for battle.
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to clothe with garments, especially of an ornamental kind; dress up; deck out.
She arrayed herself in furs and diamonds.
noun
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order or arrangement, as of troops drawn up for battle.
- Synonyms:
- disposition
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military force, especially a body of troops.
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a large and impressive grouping or organization of things.
He couldn't dismiss the array of facts.
- Synonyms:
- exhibition, exhibit, show
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regular order or arrangement; series.
an array of figures.
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a large group, number, or quantity of people or things.
an impressive array of scholars; an imposing array of books.
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attire; dress.
in fine array.
- Synonyms:
- raiment
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an arrangement of interrelated objects or items of equipment for accomplishing a particular task.
thousands of solar cells in one vast array.
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Mathematics, Statistics.
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an arrangement of a series of terms according to value, as from largest to smallest.
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an arrangement of a series of terms in some geometric pattern, as in a matrix.
-
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Computers. a block of related data elements, each of which is usually identified by one or more subscripts.
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Radio. antenna array.
noun
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an impressive display or collection
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an orderly or regular arrangement, esp of troops in battle order
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poetic rich clothing; apparel
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maths a sequence of numbers or symbols in a specified order
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maths a set of numbers or symbols arranged in rows and columns, as in a determinant or matrix
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electronics an arrangement of aerials spaced to give desired directional characteristics, used esp in radar
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law a panel of jurors
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the arming of military forces
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computing a regular data structure in which individual elements may be located by reference to one or more integer index variables, the number of such indices being the number of dimensions in the array
verb
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to dress in rich attire; adorn
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to arrange in order (esp troops for battle); marshal
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law to draw up (a panel of jurors)
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Mathematics A rectangular arrangement of quantities in rows and columns, as in a matrix.
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Numerical data ordered in a linear fashion, by magnitude.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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arraysimple
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arrayssimple
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have arrayedperfect
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has arrayedperfect
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am arrayingprogressive
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are arrayingprogressive
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is arrayingprogressive
-
have been arrayingperfect progressive
-
has been arrayingperfect progressive
Past
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arrayedsimple
-
had arrayedperfect
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was arrayingprogressive
-
were arrayingprogressive
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had been arrayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of array
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-French arayer, Old French are(y)er, from Germanic; compare Old English ārǣdan “to prepare,” equivalent to ā- a- 3 + ræde “prompt”
Explanation
An array is a display of something — usually something varied. You might encounter an array of cereal brands in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Your head says to choose the Crunchy Oats 'n' Bran, but your heart wants the Sugar-Coated Chocopuffs. Although the word array comes from the Old French areyer, "to put in order," an array often just comes together. It can be an intentional design of people or features — everything from software packages to fashion shows can have an "impressive array" of components. Or, an array can fall together in nature or by chance: "the clouds became an array of beautiful shapes after the storm."
Vocabulary lists containing array
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s a massive solar array slated to be built nearby in the Nevada desert.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Big-time players will likely have an array of financial experts to help them navigate the tax maze, Fagan said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
That’s one of the great things about Letterboxd: Everyone uses it differently, and those variations reflect a wide array of tastes in film.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
The complex array of TV sports deals has been a boon for professional and college leagues, generating billions in revenues from networks and streaming platforms eager for live games and clip-heavy highlight shows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Amelia grinned at Jane and Michael, displaying a splendid array of teeth.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
Satellites, moored arrays of sensors and research ships are gathering data from the modern ocean too.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Computer simulations showed the structures as swirling arrays of arrows that illustrate how different properties of light change direction across the Poisson spot.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Solar arrays of multikilometers in scale are what’s needed,” Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck told investors earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Like all offshore wind arrays, they also need to deliver the electricity back to land, requiring long floating cables, loose enough to withstand ocean currents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Machine shops and arrays of heavy-duty electrical equipment were situated on the ground floor along the curved inner walls, facing the two-story arch of the magnet.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
After surveying his pyramids of cans, arrayed spices and stacks of noodle soup, they issued him a 2,500-euro fine, equivalent to around $2,866.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
As Massie frequently notes, the bulk of the outside money arrayed against him has come from three billionaires – Las Vegas casino tycoon Miriam Adleson and hedge fund managers Paul Singer and John Paulson.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
In another drawing in the series, “Reclining Male Nude With Shield and Sword,” a figure, arrayed like an ancient river god, holds himself up while twisting his head around in surprise and dismay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
He failed at that, in part because conditions were arrayed against him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
Four Nights When Mark Antony and his men boarded the barge that evening, they found a lavish banquet arrayed before them.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
In arraying himself against adversaries no matter the cost, he has earned an appellation Robert Bolt gave Sir Thomas More: a man for all seasons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The daughter of a textile trader, Ms. Shah traces her affinity for abstraction and craft to growing up with stacks of fabrics and swatches arraying her home.
From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023
By arraying spike proteins on nanoparticles, vaccine developers aim to follow the style of upscale restaurants, where presentation matters nearly as much as the food on the plate.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 15, 2021
But it is Schepps who specializes in circles, arraying them colorfully in rows whose stated inspirations include the sun and agate, the translucent stone that often contains eye-like patterns.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 13, 2016
It was a trial to my feelings, on the next day but one, to see Joe arraying himself in his Sunday clothes to accompany me to Miss Havisham’s.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.