line-up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to informal in some contexts; widely used in media, sports, and entertainment.
Quick answer
What does “line-up” mean?
A row or arrangement of people or things assembled for a particular purpose, such as identification, inspection, or performance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A row or arrangement of people or things assembled for a particular purpose, such as identification, inspection, or performance.
An ordered list of participants, events, or items in a sequence; the arrangement of a team's players at the start of a game; a list of suspects assembled for identification by a witness; the schedule of performers at an event.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. In the verb form, British English may be slightly more likely to use 'queue up' for the act of waiting in line, while American English strongly prefers 'line up'.
Connotations
In both varieties, 'police line-up' carries a specific legal/crime connotation. In sports contexts, connotations are neutral and technical.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English due to its prevalent use in sports broadcasting (e.g., starting lineup).
Grammar
How to Use “line-up” in a Sentence
[Verb] + line-up: announce, reveal, check, change, head, feature in[Adjective] + line-up: impressive, strong, weak, full, starting, proposedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “line-up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Please line up by the door for the tour.
- The suspects were lined up for the witness.
American English
- Fans lined up overnight for tickets.
- Line up the chairs facing the stage.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A (Not standard. Use 'starting' as in 'starting line-up player').
American English
- N/A (Not standard. Use 'starting' as in 'starting line-up player').
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to the range of products or services a company offers (e.g., 'our autumn product line-up').
Academic
Rare; might be used in sociology or criminology when discussing police identification procedures.
Everyday
Common for discussing event schedules, team lists, or groups of people waiting.
Technical
Specific term in law enforcement (identification parade) and sports (player positions).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “line-up”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “line-up”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “line-up”
- Using 'lineup' as one word in formal writing (prefer hyphenated). Using it as a verb (should be 'line up'). Confusing it with 'lineup' in baseball (specific sporting term).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the part of speech. The noun is almost always hyphenated: 'line-up'. The verb is two words: 'line up'. The one-word 'lineup' is common in American sports journalism but the hyphenated form is preferred in most dictionaries and formal writing.
A 'roster' is a full list of all members of a team or organisation. A 'line-up' is a specific list of those participating in a single event or at a specific time (e.g., tonight's starting line-up is a subset of the full team roster).
Yes. It is common to refer to a 'product line-up' (e.g., cars, phones) or a 'TV line-up' (schedule of shows), indicating an ordered series or range of items.
Only in the very specific sense of a line of people waiting. In British English, 'queue' is the standard term for this. 'Line-up' has broader meanings (sports teams, event schedules) that 'queue' does not cover.
A row or arrangement of people or things assembled for a particular purpose, such as identification, inspection, or performance.
Line-up is usually neutral to informal in some contexts; widely used in media, sports, and entertainment. in register.
Line-up: in British English it is pronounced /ˈlaɪn ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈlaɪn ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(to be) in the line-up”
- “a line-up of talent”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine people standing in a LINE, facing UP towards the front, ready for inspection or to perform.
Conceptual Metaphor
ORGANISATION IS ALIGNMENT (things/people in a line are under control and ordered for a purpose).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'line-up' LEAST likely be used?