configure
Americanverb (used with object)
-
configures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
configured,
past participle, past
-
configuring
present participle
-
to design or adapt to form a specific configuration or for some specific purpose.
The planes are being configured to hold more passengers in each row.
-
Computers.
-
to put together (a computer or computer system) by supplying, arranging, or connecting a specific set of internal or external components.
My next laptop will be configured for gaming with a fast processor and lots of memory.
-
to set up (a software program or device) for a particular computer, computer system, or task.
to configure the printer for a wireless network.
-
verb
-
to arrange or organize
-
computing to set up (a piece of hardware or software) as required
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
configuresimple
-
configuressimple
-
have configuredperfect
-
has configuredperfect
-
am configuringprogressive
-
are configuringprogressive
-
is configuringprogressive
-
have been configuringperfect progressive
-
has been configuringperfect progressive
Past
-
configuredsimple
-
had configuredperfect
-
was configuringprogressive
-
were configuringprogressive
-
had been configuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of configure
Back formation from configuration
Vocabulary lists containing configure
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After considering how he would configure an important device for their research, he delivered his verdict: “completely perfect.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Losing your device or access to it entirely can also make it tricky to configure passkeys.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
You can configure the VPN to automatically connect whenever you’re online or have the app ask you whether or not to connect.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
Had I been a member, I might have met with a Love.Life nutritionist next, to configure my caloric and macronutrient needs to support weight loss or exercise performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
Guys like Dr. Strayer were hired to figure out how to configure networks and displays so that the information was useful and life- preserving—not overwhelming and deadly.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
GoBubble is a company that configures AI software to act as a filter to stop discriminatory comments from being seen by a social media user.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
Aviation experts said the storm had a disproportionate impact on Southwest because the company configures its network in a very different way than other large airlines, like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, do.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2022
Ryanair configures its MAX 8-200s with 197 seats.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2021
Noe installs and configures software on home computers.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 22, 2020
But qua becoming, and irrespective of all special aspects with which it historically configures itself, the spirit has already a content of its own, which cannot be absent from any of its historical configurations.
From The Reform of Education by Giovanni Gentile
The models, which included GPT-5.6 Sol, were configured for evaluation to be less likely to refuse hacking commands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Whether it’s configured as a truck or SUV, the EV will have an estimated range of 205 miles and will be compatible with Tesla chargers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
High Park Farm also looms large in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Exhibit, with a whole section configured to look like the inside of their farmhouse: wood paneling, quaint lighting, faux windows.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Qantas said it would take delivery of 12 aircraft in total, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
The incentives of the real-estate business, as currently configured, plainly encourage some agents to act against the best interests of their customers.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
“We tried configuring an off-the-shelf tool for our cycle. Too many fields we don’t need, missing the ones we do…So I just built what we needed. Took a night and a morning,” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
If the thought of configuring a VPN makes you break out in a cold sweat, this one’s for you.
From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2026
The team's chief innovation is configuring their "neutral atom array" to be able to dynamically change its layout by moving and connecting atoms -- this is called "entangling" in physics parlance -- mid-computation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2023
Yvonne began designing and configuring Día de Muertos ofrendas when she needed a place to mourn after her nephew and best friend passed away in 1997.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2022
If you don't want this, read about configuring inetd and the file /etc/services.
From Debian GNU/Linux : Guide to Installation and Usage by John Goerzen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
