conform

[ kuhn-fawrm ]

verb (used without object)

1. to act according to or be obedient to a rule or norm (usually followed by to ):

   Every team must adopt and conform to league regulations.

   Synonyms: consent, agree, yield

   Antonyms: dissent

2. to be in harmony or accord (usually followed by with ):

   These results conform with those of similar studies done in the past.

3. to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group:

   One has to conform in order to succeed in this company.

4. to be or become similar in form, nature, or character (usually followed by to ):

   Memory conforms to what we think we remember.

   I love how these slippers conform to my feet.

   Synonyms: tally, agree, correspond

   Antonyms: differ

5. to comply with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.

   Antonyms: dissent

verb (used with object)

1. to bring into agreement, correspondence, or harmony (usually used with to ):

   We need to conform our corporate practice to the new guidelines.

   Despite efforts to conform the data sets perfectly, some discrepancies will persist.

   Synonyms: accommodate, adjust, adapt

2. to make similar in form, nature, or character (usually used with to ):

   Do not try to conform your partner to your ideal.

adjective

1. Archaic. conformable ( def 1 ).

conform

/ kənˈfɔːm /

verb

1. intrusually foll byto to comply in actions, behaviour, etc, with accepted standards or norms
2. intrusually foll bywith to be in accordance; fit in

   he conforms with my idea of a teacher

3. to make or become similar in character or form
4. intr to comply with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England
5. tr to bring (oneself, ideas, etc) into harmony or agreement

Grammar Note

All senses of conform necessarily involve an underlying comparison of one thing or person to another. To introduce the second thing, there are two acceptable prepositions— to and with —each being more common with certain senses. When the sense has to do with one of the things being the standard or guide for the other, the most usual preposition is to: This wiring does not conform to the building code. The car seat conforms to your body. When the sense has to do with two things that independently happen to agree or match, with is more common: Your observations conform with my own experience. However, in each case, the other preposition is also correct. When the relationship between the two things is not clear, to tends to prevail: Fortunately, the weather conformed to our expectations.

Derived Forms

• conˈformer, noun
• conˈformingly, adverb

Other Words From

• con·form·er noun
• con·form·ing·ly adverb
• non·con·form·ing adjective
• pre·con·form verb
• qua·si-con·form·ing adjective
• re·con·form verb
• un·con·formed adjective
• un·con·form·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conform¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English confo(u)rmen, from Anglo-French, Middle French conformer, from Latin conformāre “to shape, describe, make to agree,” from con- con- + formāre “to shape, fashion” (from forma form )

Word History and Origins

Origin of conform¹

C14: from Old French conformer, from Latin confirmāre to establish, strengthen, from firmāre to make firm, from firmus firm ¹

Example Sentences

Adding folic acid to flour could prevent around 200 cases of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, every year, and improve the health of pregnant women, says the government, which is giving manufacturers until the end of 2026 to conform to the new legal requirement.

From BBC

Instead, the aesthetics of folks like Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg, and their rejection of traditional expectations, “highlights that they don’t need to conform to social rules, because they operate at a level where the rules don’t apply to them,” Mair told Salon in an email.

From Salon

Eventually, most Americans will internalize the cultural logic of Trumpism and fascism and begin to self-police and conform — and enforce the new order against their family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers.

From Salon

It certainly doesn’t conform with the ideals of the Constitution.

From Salon

Meat imports classed as illegal have often not gone through checks to confirm they are disease-free and conform to UK health standards.

From BBC

Related Words

• accommodate
• attune
• comply
• coordinate
• fit
• harmonize
• integrate
• reconcile
• tailor
• yield