# array

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈɹeɪ/ · frequency rank #6,023

## Definitions
1. Clothing and ornamentation; raiment.
2. A collection laid out to be viewed in full.
3. An orderly series, arrangement or sequence.
4. Order; a regular and imposing arrangement; disposition in regular lines; hence, order of battle.
5. A large collection.
6. A matrix.
7. Any of various data structures designed to hold multiple elements of the same type; especially, a data structure that holds these elements in adjacent memory locations so that they may be retrieved using numeric indices.
8. A ranking or setting forth in order, by the proper officer, of a jury as impanelled in a cause; the panel itself; or the whole body of jurors summoned to attend the court.
9. A militia.
10. A group of hedgehogs.
11. A microarray.

## Etymology
From Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-Norman arraier (compare Old French arraier, areer (“to put in order”)), from Vulgar Latin *arrēdō (“to put in order, arrange, array”), from *rēdum (“preparation, order”), from Frankish *raid or *raidā (“preparation, order”) or Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (garaiþs, “ready, prepared”), from Proto-Germanic *raidaz, *raidiz (“ready”). Compare Old English rād (“condition, stipulation”), Old High German antreitī (“order, rank”). Doublet of ready.

## Easily confused with
- **away** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-away)
- **aura** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-aura)
- **Arya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arya)
- **arty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arty)
- **awry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-awry)
- **arrow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arrow)
- **assay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-assay)
- **Aryan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-aryan)
- **artsy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-artsy)
- **aural** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-aural)
- **arrays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arrays)
- **astray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-astray)
- **arroyo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arroyo)
- **arrayed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-arrayed)
- **ara** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ara-vs-array)
- **arr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arr-vs-array)
- **area** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/area-vs-array)
- **army** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/army-vs-array)
- **Arab** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arab-vs-array)
- **aria** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aria-vs-array)

## Common misspellings (5)
`arary`, `aray`, `arrayy`, `arrya`, `raray`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/array