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.
See Examples For:
In its annual report the fund said, “valuations of portfolio companies are estimates of fair value and may not necessarily correspond to reasonable value.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Physicists typically describe natural systems using mathematical variables that correspond to real properties, such as a bird's position and speed, a fish's location within a school, or a car's position in traffic.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026
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
Even the conservative core CPI inflation reading would correspond to at least a 25-basis-point increase to the Fed’s current target range.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
All of the factors—disposition, energy level, intelligence, and interests—had to correspond and to interact perfectly.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
While there is no standard definition of what income corresponds to “middle class,” the Census determined that the middle 20% of Americans had household incomes roughly between $65,100 and $105,500 in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The leading side of the orbit corresponds to the morning terminator, while the trailing side corresponds to the evening terminator.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
Ferragu’s price corresponds to a roughly $2.3 trillion equity value.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
High UV corresponds to an index of 6 or 7 on a scale from 0 to 11+.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
The method used corresponds to the method initially used by Newcomen—though he later found a better one.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
They have corresponded with previous market tops in 2000, 2007 and 2021, according to Leuthold.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Jamieson was caught after messages written by PatrolStaff corresponded with his movements.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
Executives including Liaw allegedly corresponded about bringing in 100 people, including forklift operators, and arranging meals and a 20-person shuttle bus to help stage dummy servers in warehouses before auditors came through.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
It also corresponded with reports that day that Kuwait had mistakenly shot down three US warplanes.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
But he had certainly corresponded with Newton about the comet, and may have met him in 1682, so it is natural that he should have taken an opportunity to visit Cambridge when it arose.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Government data shows the area planted with summer crops until the end of June is down by nearly 23% from the corresponding period in 2025, with rice sowing falling by a quarter.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Nicholas Fabiano, corresponding author and a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa, also urged caution.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026
I had spent the past couple of weeks corresponding with Raw Farm founder Mark McAfee, who’d filled my inbox with messages and PowerPoints extolling the virtues of his most important, and controversial, product:
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
“As quantum computing hardware continues to advance, we expect a corresponding growth in demand for quantum software to run on these computers,” Woo wrote.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Throughout his writing career, he stayed abreast of new ideas and discoveries by corresponding with researchers and reading scientific papers.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
