conform
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to act according to or be obedient to a rule or norm (usually followed byto ).
Every team must adopt and conform to league regulations.
- Antonyms:
- dissent
-
to be in harmony or accord (usually followed bywith ).
These results conform with those of similar studies done in the past.
-
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.
-
to be or become similar in form, nature, or character (usually followed byto ).
Memory conforms to what we think we remember.
I love how these slippers conform to my feet.
- Synonyms:
- tally, agree, correspond
- Antonyms:
- differ
-
to comply with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.
- Antonyms:
- dissent
verb (used with object)
-
to bring into agreement, correspondence, or harmony (usually used withto ).
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
-
to make similar in form, nature, or character (usually used withto ).
Do not try to conform your partner to your ideal.
adjective
verb
-
to comply in actions, behaviour, etc, with accepted standards or norms
-
to be in accordance; fit in
he conforms with my idea of a teacher
-
to make or become similar in character or form
-
(intr) to comply with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England
-
(tr) to bring (oneself, ideas, etc) into harmony or agreement
Grammar
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.
Other Word Forms
- conformer noun
- conformingly adverb
- nonconforming adjective
- preconform verb
- quasi-conforming adjective
- reconform verb
- unconformed adjective
- unconforming adjective
Etymology
Origin of conform
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 )
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.
"As telescopes and detection methods become more precise, we are strengthening our ability to find planetary systems that don't resemble our own and that don't conform to longstanding theories," he says.
From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026
Such forces will remain in place and be turned against anyone who does not submit and conform.
From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026
The masses conform to formerly “out there” ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026
Then she herself became an icon: a beautiful, liberated, modern woman who refused to conform to outdated stereotypes.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
‘Our Knowledge’, in Locke’s phrase, which must conform to observation, experience and testimony, is knowledge as acquaintance, but Locke still hankers over justified true belief.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
