correspond
Americanverb (used without object)
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to be in agreement or conformity (often followed by with orto ).
His actions do not correspond with his words.
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to be similar or analogous; be equivalent in function, position, amount, etc. (usually followed byto ).
The U.S. Congress corresponds to the British Parliament.
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to communicate by exchange of letters.
verb
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to conform, be in agreement, or be consistent or compatible (with); tally (with)
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(usually foll by to) to be similar or analogous in character or function
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(usually foll by with) to communicate by letter
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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correspondsimple
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correspondssimple
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have correspondedperfect
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has correspondedperfect
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am correspondingprogressive
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are correspondingprogressive
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is correspondingprogressive
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have been correspondingperfect progressive
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has been correspondingperfect progressive
Past
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correspondedsimple
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had correspondedperfect
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was correspondingprogressive
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were correspondingprogressive
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had been correspondingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing correspond
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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ACT Vocabulary List
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"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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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.
So all these different layers to the word bait correspond to a different layer of show, correspond to each different episode.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
That would correspond to a deeper-than-normal U.S. recession with a significant reduction in earnings expectations by equity investors.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
The research found "an increase of nitrogen could correspond to an approximately 90% decrease in the abundance of life per unit of available habitat area".
From BBC • May 2, 2026
For torus-shaped surfaces, earlier work showed that a single set of metric and mean curvature values could correspond to as many as two different shapes.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
“Beatrice and I don’t correspond unless there's a major event in the family. Writing letters is a waste of time,” said Maxim.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
