array

1 of 2

verb

ar·​ray ə-ˈrā How to pronounce array (audio)
arrayed; arraying; arrays

transitive verb

1
: to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire : adorn
… he had already arrayed himself in his best clothes.Thomas Hardy
2
a
: to set or place in order : draw up, marshal
the forces arrayed against us
b
: to set or set forth in order (something, such as a jury) for the trial of a cause
3
: to arrange or display in or as if in an array
The … data are arrayed in descending order.Ed Burnett
arrayer noun

array

2 of 2

noun

1
: an imposing group : large number
faced a whole array of problems
also : variety, assortment
a broad array of styles
2
a
: a regular and imposing grouping or arrangement : order
lined up … in soldierly arrayDonald Barthelme
b
law : an orderly listing of jurors impaneled
3
b
: rich or beautiful apparel : finery
4
: a body of soldiers : militia
the baron and his feudal array
5
a(1)
: a number of mathematical elements arranged in rows and columns
(2)
: a data structure in which similar elements of data are arranged in a table
b
: a series of statistical data arranged in classes in order of magnitude
6
: a group of elements forming a complete unit
an antenna array

Examples of array in a Sentence

Verb She arrayed herself in rich velvets and satins. a door arrayed for the holidays with a beautiful evergreen wreath Noun an array of solar panels an array of baseball gloves in the corner of his room
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Advertisement Nasrallah also oversaw the export of Hezbollah’s military capabilities beyond Lebanon, turning the group into Iran’s most potent proxy among its regional network of militias and governments arrayed against the U.S. and Israel. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024 Tehran has cultivated a phalanx of religious allies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen—frontline forces arrayed against a nuclear-armed Israel and the Sunni governments in the region. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
Noun
Along with the stickers, every bracelet features a dazzling array of colorful beads and charms. Toby Rose, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024 Hurricane Kristy spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for array 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'array.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English arayen, arrayen "to put in order, prepare, marshal (troops), equip, adorn," borrowed from Anglo-French arraier, arreyer, aroier "to arrange, order, marshal, set in order (a jury, assize), equip, attire, adorn" (continental Old French areer), going back to Vulgar Latin *arrēdāre, from Latin ad- ad- + Vulgar Latin *-rēdāre, in *conrēdāre, presumed adaptation of Gothic garedan "to make provision for" — more at curry entry 1

Note: The forms arrai-, aroi- presumably represent generalizations of the tonic stem of areer. The verb *arrēdāre is common to most Romance languages: Old Occitan arezar "to put in order," Catalan arrear "to provide," Spanish, "to adorn, decorate," Italian arredare "to furnish, equip."

Noun

Middle English aray, array, arraye "preparation, arrangement, condition, line of soldiers, equipment, adornment," borrowed from Anglo-French arrai, arraie "order, arrangement, condition, ordered list of jurors, body of men, entourage, equipment," noun derivative of arraier "to order, array entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of array was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near array

Cite this Entry

“Array.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/array. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

array

1 of 2 verb
ar·​ray ə-ˈrā How to pronounce array (audio)
1
: to set in order : draw up
soldiers arrayed for review
2
: to dress especially in fine clothing : adorn
arrayer noun

array

2 of 2 noun
1
: regular order or arrangement
also : persons (as troops) in array
2
: rich or beautiful clothing
3
: an impressive group : large number
a whole array of problems
4
: a group of mathematical elements (as numbers or letters) arranged in rows and columns

Legal Definition

array

1 of 2 transitive verb
ar·​ray ə-ˈrā How to pronounce array (audio)
: to set (a jury) for trial
specifically : to set (a jury) by calling out the names of the jurors one at a time compare impanel

array

2 of 2 noun
: the group of people summoned to serve as jurors from which the jury will be chosen
also : a list of the jurors' names see also challenge to the array at challenge compare venire

More from Merriam-Webster on array

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!