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:
While the AI revolution is bound to produce winners and losers, that doesn’t necessarily mean it must conform to the “boom-bust” cycles of the past, or for that matter, any historical pattern at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
It said India's construction of hydroelectric projects on the Indus and associated rivers had to conform to the 1960 treaty.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
And, most importantly, as a washed-up hipster living in central Brooklyn, I am surrounded by fans of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur—two teams I also know nothing about—and I simply refuse to conform to that coalition.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Other coroners linked fatalities to e-bikes and e-scooters that did not conform to UK safety standards.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The features, moreover, do not conform to a single type, for each has a strongly individual cast.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
A Janus Henderson spokesperson says its presentation of performance conforms with Securities and Exchange Commission rules that require all funds to compare their performance to a “broad-based index.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
This conforms with polling, which estimates his name recognition at 6 percent.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
That is an unlikely scenario, but one being discussed in golfing quarters - DeChambeau rarely conforms to the norm.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
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
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
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
A majority, however, were not ideologically driven: “They simply conformed, did what was asked of them, averted their gaze from any unpleasantness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
The trust's Transitioning in the Workplace policy allowed a person to use the single-sex space that conformed with their gender identity, and anyone of that sex who objected could change elsewhere.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
Ultimately, D.C. has conformed to the trend and is now actually reducing crime.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
So she simply determined to pluck them out, willing into existence a work environment that conformed to her sense of herself and her place in the world.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
The author recalls an interview he did with the herpetologist: Despite this account not conforming to reality, “everything Wells was telling me made perfect sense,” he writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
That monthly payment jumps to $2,496 if they take a 30-year conforming loan at a rate of 6.81%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 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
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.
