INDEX:
1. to arrange a group of things or people
2. the way that things or people are arranged
3. to arrange to do something or arrange for something to happen
4. to arrange to use a plane, train, hotel room, restaurant etc
5. to carefully or secretly arrange something
6. things that must be arranged for something to happen
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ ORGANIZE
↑ ORDER
↑ SYSTEM
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1. to arrange a group of things or people
▷ arrange /əˈreɪndʒ/ [transitive verb]
to put a group of things or people in a particular order or position :
arrange somebody/something
▪ Why don’t you arrange the kids and I’ll take their picture.
▪ Coyle arranged the cushions and sat down on the sofa.
arrange something in pairs/rows/groups etc
▪ The desks were arranged in pairs.
arrange something/somebody in a circle
▪ Can you arrange yourselves in a circle so that everyone can see me?
arrange something alphabetically
according to the letters of the alphabet
▪ The books are arranged alphabetically, according to author.
arrange something in order of height/importance etc
▪ If you have a lot of things to do, just make a list and arrange them in order of importance.
▷ organize also organise British /ˈɔːʳgənaɪz/
to arrange in order information, ideas etc according to a system, so that they will be more effective or easier to use :
▪ Organize your notes very carefully before giving a speech.
▪ You might find that writing an outline will help you to organize your thoughts.
organize something into piles/groups etc
▪ The book is organized into three sections.
▷ set out /ˌset ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to arrange a group of things on the floor, on a table, on a shelf etc for people to use, take, or look at :
set out something
▪ If we set out the chairs now, they’ll be ready for tonight’s meeting.
set something out
▪ A waiter brought drinks and sandwiches, and set them out on a low table beside the pool.
▷ be laid out /biː ˌleɪd ˈaʊt/ [verb phrase]
if a town, building etc is laid out in a particular way, it is arranged in that way according to a particular plan :
▪ I like the way your new office is laid out.
be laid out according to
▪ Kyoto is laid out according to a grid system.
▷ line up /ˌlaɪn ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to arrange people or things in a line :
line up somebody/something
▪ ‘Line up your men,’ said the police inspector.
line somebody/something etc up
▪ He lined the dolls up from tallest to shortest.
▷ order /ˈɔːʳdəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to arrange a group of things so that one comes after the other in a particular order :
▪ The psychology books are ordered according to title, not according to author.
▷ put something in order /ˌpʊt something ɪn ˈɔːʳdəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to arrange things so that they are in the correct order :
▪ He cleaned his desk and put his papers in order before locking up the office.
put something in alphabetical/numerical order
▪ We need to put all the names in alphabetical order.
▷ rearrange /ˌriːəˈreɪndʒ/ [transitive verb]
to arrange a group of things in a different way from before :
▪ ‘This room looks different. Have you painted it?’ ‘No, I just rearranged the furniture.’
▪ This program allows you to create and rearrange images on-screen with the click of a mouse button.
2. the way that things or people are arranged
▷ arrangement /əˈreɪndʒmənt/ [countable noun]
a group of things that are arranged according to a pattern in order to look attractive :
arrangement of
▪ Our chef was never happy until the arrangement of vegetables on each plate was just right.
flower arrangement
flowers that have been cut and arranged attractively
▪ A small flower arrangement on the kitchen table can brighten up the room.
▷ layout /ˈleɪaʊt/ [countable noun]
the way that a building, town, garden, book etc is arranged according to a plan, so that it looks attractive :
▪ a computer program to help you design page layout
▪ Many of the golfers complained about the course layout.
layout of
▪ He was one of the architects who planned the layout of the hospital.
▷ order /ˈɔʳdəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
the way that events happen or that information is arranged, showing which is first, which is second, and so on :
in this/that/what/any order
▪ It doesn’t matter which order you answer the questions in.
▪ Put it into a large mixing bowl and add, in this order, the milk, the honey, the melted butter, and the salt.
order of
▪ We were given a programme showing the order of events for the day.
in order of importance/difficulty/size etc
when the most important thing is first, then the next most important etc
▪ Their main exports, in order of importance, are copper, coal, and maize.
▪ The subjects that students enjoyed most were, in order of popularity, music, history, and art.
in alphabetical order
with 'a' first, then 'b', then 'c' etc
▪ This index lists each one of the 5 million books in the library, in alphabetical order by title.
▷ formation /fɔːʳˈmeɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the way in which a group of planes, ships, soldiers etc are arranged :
▪ Formations of tanks were lined up along the border.
in formation
in a particular pattern or order when flying, marching, or sailing together
▪ Three small planes flying in formation collided this afternoon, killing four people.
3. to arrange to do something or arrange for something to happen
▷ arrange /əˈreɪndʒ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to make preparations for a meeting, party, journey etc, for example by choosing a suitable time and place and telling people about it :
▪ Ann’s arranging a surprise party for Russell’s birthday.
▪ We’re going on Friday - it’s all arranged.
arrange to do something
▪ They arranged to meet the following day.
arrange for somebody to do something
▪ He arranged for Andi to leave on the next flight home.
it is arranged that
▪ It was arranged that our visitors should stay at a nearby hotel.
▷ organize also organise British /ˈɔːʳgənaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to make preparations for an event, especially a big public event that needs a lot of preparation and planning :
▪ I’ve been asked to organize this year’s Summer Carnival.
▪ an exhibition organised by the local camera club
organizer also organiser British [countable noun]
someone who organizes a large public event :
▪ The organisers will give all profits from the show to charity.
▪ Chief festival organizer Josephine Barnfield insists that the concert will go ahead despite the ban.
▷ fix/fix up /fɪks, ˌfɪks ˈʌp/ [transitive verb] especially British, spoken
to arrange something, especially for someone else, in order to help them or because they cannot arrange it for themselves :
fix something/fix up something
▪ Don’t worry, Jean has already fixed everything.
▪ We have done our best to fix up a meeting but they haven’t shown any interest.
fix something/it/them up
▪ We need to get all the sales staff together for a conference - could I leave it to you to fix it up, Jane?
fix it for somebody to do something
▪ She can fix it for you to see the show free if you want.
▷ set a time/date/place also fix a date/time/place British /ˌset ə ˈtaɪm, ˈdeɪt, ˈpleɪs, ˌfɪks ə ˈdeɪt, ˈtaɪm, ˈpleɪs/ [verb phrase]
to arrange for something to happen on a particular date etc :
▪ I’ll have my secretary set a date and we’ll meet for lunch.
▪ We need to meet with Elaine this afternoon but I’m having trouble fixing a time.
▷ pencil in /ˌpens ə l ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially British
to arrange for something to happen on a particular date or time knowing that the arrangements may have to be changed later :
pencil somebody/something/it/her etc in
▪ I’ll pencil you in but we might have to change the meeting to Thursday.
pencil in somebody/something
▪ Let’s pencil in the 19th for now, and you get in touch later if you can’t make it.
pencil somebody/something in for
▪ Dates for the concerts are pencilled in for late next year.
▪ You can pencil him in for the 8th but I’m afraid I might be out of town that day.
▷ make the arrangements/take care of the arrangements /ˌmeɪk ði əˈreɪndʒmənts, teɪk ˌkeər əv ði əˈreɪndʒmənts/ [verb phrase]
to arrange all the details of an event after you have decided what you are going to do :
▪ Uncle Bill has made all the funeral arrangements.
make the arrangements/take care of the arrangements for
▪ Margot and Paul went up to London to make the arrangements for the wedding.
▪ The marketing people will take care of all the arrangements for the presentation.
make arrangements to do something
▪ I made arrangements to see Alec while he was in town.
4. to arrange to use a plane, train, hotel room, restaurant etc
▷ reserve/book /rɪˈzɜːʳv, bʊk/ []
▪ I’d like to reserve a seat on the next plane to Atlanta.
▪ Marge and I are thinking of booking a holiday in Malaysia this year.
▪ You’d better book now while they still have a vacancy.
be booked up/be fully booked
all the tickets, seats etc have been booked
▪ The lady at the bed and breakfast says she’s booked up till February.
booked solid
all the tickets for a play, show etc have been completely booked for a long period of time and it is impossible to get any
▪ The show was booked solid for months to come.
reserved [adjective]
▪ I’m afraid this table is reserved, sir.
▷ reservation /ˌrezəʳˈveɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
an arrangement you make with a hotel, airline, restaurant etc so that they will keep a room or seat for you to use at a later time or date :
▪ There might be trouble getting hotel reservations the week of the festival.
have a reservation
▪ ‘I’d like a table for two please.’ ‘Do you have a reservation, madam?’
make a reservation
▪ She packed her bags, then called the airport and made a reservation on the last flight out of Los Angeles.
cancel a reservation
▪ I have to work late tonight, so I cancelled our dinner reservations.
▷ booking /ˈbʊkɪŋ/ [countable noun] especially British
an arrangement you make with a hotel, theatre, etc so that they will keep a room or seat for you to use at a later time or date :
▪ I’d like to cancel my booking, please.
▪ Advance bookings for the show currently total more than £100,000.
make a booking
▪ You can make a provisional booking over the phone.
5. to carefully or secretly arrange something
▷ orchestrate /ˈɔːʳkɪstreɪt, ˈɔːʳkəstreɪt/ [transitive verb] written
to carefully and often secretly arrange for something to happen, especially so that people do not realize that it was a planned event :
▪ Treasury officials are trying to orchestrate a sharp decline in the dollar.
▪ The so-called ‘revolution’ was in fact orchestrated by the CIA.
orchestrated [adjective]
▪ The newspaper article is part of a carefully orchestrated campaign to persuade people to stop smoking.
▷ stage-manage /ˈsteɪdʒ ˌmænɪdʒ/ [transitive verb]
to carefully and secretly arrange for something, especially a political event, to happen in exactly the way that you want, but without giving the appearance that it was planned - use this to show disapproval :
▪ Most of the ‘spontaneous demonstrations’ supporting the President are stage-managed.
▷ engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪəʳ, ˌendʒəˈnɪəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to arrange for something to happen without anyone knowing that you have planned it :
▪ The socialist party secretly engineered the defeat of the government.
▪ Before they could engineer an escape, they had to be sure that none of the guards were suspicious.
▷ contrive /kənˈtraɪv/ [transitive verb]
to arrange an event or situation in a clever way, especially secretly and by tricking or deceiving people :
▪ He contrived a meeting between his mother and her ex- husband.
▪ In the play Amos contrives a scheme to make Paul pay back the money he owes him.
6. things that must be arranged for something to happen
▷ arrangements /əˈreɪndʒmənts/ [plural noun]
all the preparations that must be made for something to happen and be successful :
arrangements for
▪ Who is in charge of the arrangements for the President’s visit?
make arrangements
▪ We need to make arrangements for the neighbors to take care of the cats while we’re away.
take care of the arrangements
▪ Don’t worry about finding a place to stay. My department will take care of the arrangements.
travel/seating/sleeping arrangements
▪ Lena wasn’t very happy about the travel arrangements.