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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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conformernoun
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preconformverb
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reconformverb
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nonconformingadjective
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quasi-conformingadjective
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unconformedadjective
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unconformingadjective
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conforminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conformsimple
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conformssimple
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have conformedperfect
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has conformedperfect
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am conformingprogressive
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are conformingprogressive
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is conformingprogressive
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have been conformingperfect progressive
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has been conformingperfect progressive
Past
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conformedsimple
-
had conformedperfect
-
was conformingprogressive
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were conformingprogressive
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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
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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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:
Nowadays, ABS has the ability to overturn incorrect strike calls on pitches that miss by a tenth of an inch, requiring all umpires to conform to the official zone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Because the covers can conform to complex shapes, they could protect a wide variety of components, including rovers, robotic joints, hoses, and other moving hardware.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
A spokesperson for Niello’s office said that because his previous efforts failed to gain traction, his current proposal includes a provision requiring California to conform if the federal government adopts permanent daylight saving time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 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
State and county officials are under no compulsion to follow the federal pesticides tolerances unless local laws happen to conform — and they seldom do.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
“Duchamp Takes New York” readily conforms to the predictable narrative about the artist, glorifying his influence and spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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
He expects loyalty—and advice that conforms to the advice he wants to hear.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2025
It conforms to Alexander Pope’s definition of simplicity as “the mean between ostentation and rusticity.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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
An SFA spokesperson said it was the darkest colour available that conformed to governing body guidelines on the contrast between home and away shirt designs.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
A BLS spokeswoman said that its approach to Thursday’s report conformed with the agency’s longstanding plans for handling missing data, consistent with international standards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
Ultimately, D.C. has conformed to the trend and is now actually reducing crime.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
As usual, Mrs. Clare’s notions conformed with those of very few.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
That was for mortgages with conforming balances of $832,750 or less.
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
"Not conforming to these stagings can be perceived as a lack of love or romance."
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
The trick was to be taken seriously as a professional without appearing to care about conforming to a standard and certainly without showing that one actually cared.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026
As we walked rapidly along I abruptly resented the bell and my West Point stride and hurrying and conforming.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
