correspond

American  

[kawr-uh-spond, kor-] / ˌkɔr əˈspɒnd, ˌkɒr- /

verb (used without object)

1. to be in agreement or conformity (often followed by with orto ).

   His actions do not correspond with his words.

   Synonyms:

   tally, match, harmonize

2. to be similar or analogous; be equivalent in function, position, amount, etc. (usually followed byto ).

   The U.S. Congress corresponds to the British Parliament.

3. to communicate by exchange of letters.

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correspond British  

/ ˌkɒrɪˈspɒnd /

verb

1. to conform, be in agreement, or be consistent or compatible (with); tally (with)

2. (usually foll by to) to be similar or analogous in character or function

3. (usually foll by with) to communicate by letter

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Related Words

Correspond, agree, accord imply comparing persons or things and finding that they harmonize. Correspond suggests having an obvious similarity, though not agreeing in every detail: Part of this report corresponds with the facts. Agree implies having or arriving at a condition in which no essential difference of opinion or detail is evident: All the reports agree. Accord emphasizes agreeing exactly, both in fact and in point of view: This report accords with the other.

Other Word Forms

• correspondingly adverb
• precorrespond verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of correspond

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French, from Medieval Latin corrēspondēre; equivalent to cor- + respond

Explanation

When two things correspond, they match up or are equivalent to one another. You might come up with a code in which numbers correspond to letters of the alphabet. Correspond can also mean to send messages back and forth. You can use your code to correspond with your pen pal. The word correspond can mean "communicating back and forth," like using email to correspond with a far-away cousin. It can also mean "be alike," as in having friends whose interests and personalities correspond to your own. Finally, it can be "be equal to," as in getting a score on a standardized test that corresponds with those of students taking the same subjects as you but who live in other states or countries.

Example Sentences

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement "the account presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth in any way."

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The jump in exports doesn’t yet correspond to an increase in U.S. oil production.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The FactSet consensus calls for $443 billion in data-center revenue in calendar 2027, but not all of that may correspond to Blackwell and Rubin, in which case Nvidia’s outlook would be better than it looks.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

An asylum appeal can relate to more than one person and The Refugee Council estimates the 80,333 outstanding appeals correspond to more than 100,000 people once family members are factored in.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

These five parts roughly correspond to the sequence in which you might imagine putting a speech—or, more broadly, any persuasive appeal—together.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• coincide
• compare
• conform
• correlate
• dovetail
• harmonize
• resemble
• tally