conformity

[ kuhn-fawr-mi-tee ]

See synonyms for conformity on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural con·form·i·ties.

action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
correspondence in form, nature, or character; agreement, congruity, or accordance.

compliance or acquiescence; obedience.
(often initial capital letter) compliance with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.
Geology. the relationship between adjacent conformable strata.: Compare unconformity (def. 2a).

Origin of conformity

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

Other words from conformity

an·ti·con·form·i·ty, noun, plural an·ti·con·form·i·ties.
hy·per·con·form·i·ty, noun
pre·con·form·i·ty, noun
sem·i·con·form·i·ty, noun
su·per·con·form·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby conformity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conformity in a sentence

To Carlson, objectivity is conformity, and conformity is cowardice.
Talking With Tucker Carlson, the Most Powerful Conservative in America | Charlotte Alter | July 15, 2021 | Time
To move up through the ranks in law enforcement, a certain amount of conformity and unwillingness to rock the boat is required.
We’re Asking the Wrong Question About Police Chief Candidates | Roddrick Colvin | April 14, 2021 | Voice of San Diego
She wears a uniform without it becoming a statement of conformity.
The sound of a shifting power structure | Robin Givhan | January 13, 2021 | Washington Post
It’s important to think carefully about the message, because there’s more than one type of conformity.
How we can encourage people to wear masks — for others’ sake | Shai Davidai | December 24, 2020 | Vox
They should emphasize that sometimes conformity takes courage.
How we can encourage people to wear masks — for others’ sake | Shai Davidai | December 24, 2020 | Vox

Ginsberg the ad man beats back against the conformity of the computer and is swallowed whole.
Mad Men’s ‘The Runaways’: Three-Way Sex and Self-Mutilation in the Craziest Episode Yet | Marlow Stern | May 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
(See also this excellent article by Dr. Eric Grollman about gender conformity & gender non-conformity).
What Each of Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means | Debby Herbenick PhD, Aleta Baldwin | February 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Funeral was about childhood and death; Neon Bible was about organized religion; The Suburbs was about community and conformity.
‘Reflektor’ Makes Arcade Fire the Biggest Band in the World | Andrew Romano | October 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The most striking thing about the latter, after all, is its monolithic conformity.
Twitchy! Michelle Malkin's Phony War | Tom Doran | April 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The playground, especially among little boys, is a place of cowardice and conformity.
Can the Holocaust be Funny? | Tom Doran | April 6, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
By a “single” or “one reading,” I mean a single careful perusal in conformity to the requirements of my System.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
So that in conformity every Man may take great comfort in himself, and all Mankind live well with one another.
An Account of the Growth of Deism in England | William Stephens
There was much to be said about occasional conformity, about toleration, about the relation between Church and State.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century | Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton
He pushed his conformity to what he considered the usages of the Primitive Church to the verge of eccentricity.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century | Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton
This was most probably, in many instances a mere unthinking conformity to ancient use and wont.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for conformity

conformity

conformance

/ (kənˈfɔːmɪtɪ) /

nounplural -ities or -ances

compliance in actions, behaviour, etc, with certain accepted standards or norms
correspondence or likeness in form or appearance; congruity; agreement

compliance with the practices of an established church

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for conformity

conformity

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.)

Browse