conform

[kuhn-fawrm]

verb (used without object)

1. to act according to or be obedient to a rule or norm (usually followed byto ).

   Every team must adopt and conform to league regulations.

   Synonyms: consent, agree, yield
   Antonyms: dissent

2. to be in harmony or accord (usually followed bywith ).

   These results conform with those of similar studies done in the past.

3. to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group.

   One has to conform in order to succeed in this company.

4. to be or become similar in form, nature, or character (usually followed byto ).

   Memory conforms to what we think we remember.

   I love how these slippers conform to my feet.

   Synonyms: tally, agree, correspond
   Antonyms: differ

5. to comply with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.

   Antonyms: dissent

verb (used with object)

1. to bring into agreement, correspondence, or harmony (usually used withto ).

   We need to conform our corporate practice to the new guidelines.

   Despite efforts to conform the data sets perfectly, some discrepancies will persist.

   Synonyms: accommodate, adjust, adapt

2. to make similar in form, nature, or character (usually used withto ).

   Do not try to conform your partner to your ideal.

adjective

1. Archaic.,  conformable.

conform

/ kənˈfɔːm /

verb

1. to comply in actions, behaviour, etc, with accepted standards or norms

2. to be in accordance; fit in

   he conforms with my idea of a teacher

3. to make or become similar in character or form

4. (intr) to comply with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England

5. (tr) to bring (oneself, ideas, etc) into harmony or agreement

Grammar Note

All senses of conform necessarily involve an underlying comparison of one thing or person to another. To introduce the second thing, there are two acceptable prepositions— to and with —each being more common with certain senses. When the sense has to do with one of the things being the standard or guide for the other, the most usual preposition is to: This wiring does not conform to the building code. The car seat conforms to your body. When the sense has to do with two things that independently happen to agree or match, with is more common: Your observations conform with my own experience. However, in each case, the other preposition is also correct. When the relationship between the two things is not clear, to tends to prevail: Fortunately, the weather conformed to our expectations.

Other Word Forms

• conformer noun
• conformingly adverb
• nonconforming adjective
• preconform verb
• quasi-conforming adjective
• reconform verb
• unconformed adjective
• unconforming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conform¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English confo(u)rmen, from Anglo-French, Middle French conformer, from Latin conformāre “to shape, describe, make to agree,” from con- con- + formāre “to shape, fashion” (from forma form )

Word History and Origins

Origin of conform¹

C14: from Old French conformer, from Latin confirmāre to establish, strengthen, from firmāre to make firm, from firmus _firm ¹

Example Sentences

He was not alone in trying to navigate between his conscience and the mounting pressures to conform.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 2019, they wrote to the school voicing concerns that it did not conform with their own beliefs.

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Plus, salaried workers sold not only their time but their personalities—conforming to corporate codes about how to speak and dress, Mills argued.

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The trust said the nurses had "demonised" Rose and the policy conformed with guidance and laws at the time.

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I've played in squads where if you didn't conform, you would either never be called back again or would never have got there in the first place.

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Related Words

• accommodate 
• attune 
• comply 
• coordinate 
• fit 
• harmonize 
• integrate 
• reconcile 
• tailor 
• yield