conform
Americanverb (used without object)
-
conforms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
conformed,
past participle, past
-
conforming
present participle
-
to act according to or be obedient to a rule or norm (usually followed byto ).
Every team must adopt and conform to league regulations.
- Antonyms:
- dissent
-
to be in harmony or accord (usually followed bywith ).
These results conform with those of similar studies done in the past.
-
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.
-
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
-
to comply with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.
- Antonyms:
- dissent
verb (used with object)
-
conforms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
conformed,
past participle, past
-
conforming
present participle
-
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
-
to make similar in form, nature, or character (usually used withto ).
Do not try to conform your partner to your ideal.
adjective
verb
-
to comply in actions, behaviour, etc, with accepted standards or norms
-
to be in accordance; fit in
he conforms with my idea of a teacher
-
to make or become similar in character or form
-
(intr) to comply with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England
-
(tr) to bring (oneself, ideas, etc) into harmony or agreement
Grammar
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
Derived Forms
-
conformernoun
-
preconformverb
-
reconformverb
-
nonconformingadjective
-
quasi-conformingadjective
-
unconformedadjective
-
unconformingadjective
-
conforminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
conformsimple
-
conformssimple
-
have conformedperfect
-
has conformedperfect
-
am conformingprogressive
-
are conformingprogressive
-
is conformingprogressive
-
have been conformingperfect progressive
-
has been conformingperfect progressive
Past
-
conformedsimple
-
had conformedperfect
-
was conformingprogressive
-
were conformingprogressive
-
had been conformingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conform
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 )
Explanation
To conform means to adapt to fit in with new conditions. So if you travel to Morocco, you should conform to the local custom and adjust your usual wardrobe to one that is more modest. Sometimes conform gets a bad rap, carrying with it the sense of compromising one’s individuality to fit in or please others. But take note that it doesn’t always have to carry such a negative charge. For example, the manager of a factory that produces bouncy balls would want each ball that came off his conveyor belts to conform to a high standard of durability, bounciness, and roundness.
Vocabulary lists containing conform
Shape Up: Form
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!
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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!
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“He’s the one who questioned authority, fought for himself, refused to bow down or conform, and was like non serviam. That was a metaphor that resonated very strongly with me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
To overcome those limitations, the researchers developed a powder that can conform to wounds of many different shapes and sizes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Evolving standards of decency,” Kennedy continued, “must embrace and express respect for the dignity of the person, and the punishment of criminals must conform to that rule.”
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Then the granite itself had to be shaped to conform to the contours of the future dam.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
While backing France's right to impose such a ban, the European Commission in January said that any enforcement would lie with the European Union, provided the bill conforms to the bloc's laws.
From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 2026
The bill has already had to be redrafted to take account of questions raised by the Council of State, the body which previews draft legislation to ensure it conforms with French and European law.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
He also advises checking your state plan to make sure it conforms to the federal changes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
He expects loyalty—and advice that conforms to the advice he wants to hear.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2025
But I do feel like every second we spend standing these inches apart is one that I must impress upon my mind until my entire memory conforms to its shape.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
That dwarfed the offerings of Morocco, which had no existing stadiums that conformed to tournament specifications and would need to spend upwards of $15 billion to prepare for a World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
When researchers applied a small electrical potential, the cornea gradually softened and conformed to the shape of the lens.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
You write: “As Goldman has gotten bigger and conformed more to market expectations, it has had to become a little less special.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026
Downing Street refused to do so unless the Scottish government conformed to a UK-wide approach excluding glass.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025
She got the recliner secondhand, so it wasn’t covered in plastic, which meant it had conformed to her shape.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
Johnson is so concerned with conforming to the auspicious, nostalgic idea of who Bourdain was that he makes his biopic far too safe.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
But if you qualify for a conforming loan, you may save on fees by going to a bank.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
But then "people started conforming to behave in ways that would not show racism. That doesn't mean that it's now absent", she adds.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
"Not conforming to these stagings can be perceived as a lack of love or romance."
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
And the worst part is, if you go bohemian or something crazy like that, you’re conforming just as much as everybody else, only in a different way.”
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
