conformist

American  

[kuhn-fawr-mist] / kənˈfɔr mɪst /

noun

1. a person who conforms, especially unquestioningly, to the usual practices or standards of a group, society, etc.

2. (often initial capital letter) a person who conforms to the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.

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adjective

1. of or characterized by conforming, especially in action or appearance.

conformist British  

/ kənˈfɔːmɪst /

noun

1. a person who adopts the attitudes, behaviour, dress, etc of the group to which he belongs

2. a person who complies with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England

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adjective

1. of a conforming nature or character

Other Word Forms

• anticonformist
  noun
• conformism
  noun
• hyperconformist
  noun
• semiconformist
  noun
• superconformist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conformist

First recorded in 1625–35; conform + -ist

Explanation

A conformist is a person who follows traditional standards of conduct. If you're a conformist, it's unlikely you'll join a revolution to overthrow your government; instead you'll argue that it's best to keep things the way they are. Conformist comes from the Old French word conformer, which means "to agree to, make or be similar, be agreeable." People sometimes use the term conformist in a negative way, as an insult implying that someone doesn't have the brains or the guts to question the status quo. Conformist can also be used as an adjective to describe something that follows convention and established customs. A conformist school board, for example, would follow the usual time-tested curriculum.

Example Sentences

Conformist “workaholic” pressures in Japanese culture are painfully heavy.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2023

Trintignant featured in Three Colours: Red, Z, The Conformist and Amour - which won an Oscar and the Palme d'Or.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2022

When she got fired for that, there were commenters online who were saying to the owners of that media company, "You guys should change your names from The Rebel Media to The Conformist Media."

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2019

My other favorite film is The Conformist, which I first saw off an old, dubbed VHS.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2019

He was even more fragrant than the Miraculous Conformist, or the late Mr. Stainton Moses, to whose séances scent was marvellously borne by ‘spirits’. 

From Cock Lane and Common-Sense by Lang, Andrew