conformity

American  

[kuhn-fawr-mi-tee] / kənˈfɔr mɪ ti /

noun

plural

conformities

1. action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.

2. correspondence in form, nature, or character; agreement, congruity, or accordance.

3. compliance or acquiescence; obedience.

4. (often initial capital letter) compliance with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.

5. Geology. the relationship between adjacent conformable strata.

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conformity British  

/ kənˈfɔːmɪtɪ /

noun

1. compliance in actions, behaviour, etc, with certain accepted standards or norms

2. correspondence or likeness in form or appearance; congruity; agreement

3. compliance with the practices of an established church

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conformity Cultural  

1. Agreement between an individual's behavior and a group's standards or expectations. A conformist is one who follows the majority's desires or standards. (See also beatniks, bureaucrat, organization man (see also organization man), peer group, and peer pressure.)

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Other Word Forms

• anticonformity noun
• hyperconformity noun
• preconformity noun
• semiconformity noun
• superconformity noun

Etymology

Origin of conformity

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English conformite, from Middle French, from Late Latin confōrmitās; equivalent to conform + -ity

Explanation

If all your friends wear jeans to school and you wear checkered slacks, you could say you reject conformity — doing the same thing as everyone else. Conformity usually refers to people's behavior or looks, but it can also be used to describe something that matches the form of something else — for example, a one-story house built in conformity to the low-slung buildings that surround it. It's common for conformity to follow the word in.

Example Sentences

The family argued that their rights, which requires the State providing education to "respect the right of parents to ensure such education is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions", had been contravened.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Usually, the leaders of Japan’s long-dominant party look for conformity and continuity when selecting prime ministers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

That distinction is really significant in a world that expects invisibility and conformity for us to be seen as beautiful.

From Slate • Oct. 1, 2025

The Nazi family making fleeting appearances in the play underscores the brutal conformity demanded by fascism.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

San Bernardino in 1948 supplied the nation with a new yin and yang, new models of conformity and rebellion.

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser

Related Words

• obedience