comport

play

verb com·port \ kəm-ˈpȯrt \

Updated on: 9 Aug 2017

Definition of comport

intransitive verb

:to be fitting :accord

actions that comport with policy

transitive verb

:behave; especially :to behave in a manner conformable to what is right, proper, or expected

comported himself well in the crisis

—

comportment

play \kəm-ˈpȯrt-mənt\ noun

See comport defined for English-language learners

See comport defined for kids

Examples of comport in a Sentence

an outfit that most definitely does not comport with the company's guidelines for dress-down days
the grieving relatives comported themselves with grace and dignity during that difficult time

Recent Examples of comport from the Web

That comports with what Nintendo said on its Facebook page in early August, noting that preorders would begin in late August.

— matt peckham, Time, "Super NES Classic Preorders Are Live and This Is Where You Can Find One," 22 Aug. 2017
The judge would instead evaluate the accuracy and credibility of the processes used by the NFL in assessing allegations and whether those processes comported with Article 46.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "What to Know About Ezekiel Elliott's Suspension, His Appeal and a Potential Lawsuit," 12 Aug. 2017
At the very least, this ruling comports with parental desires that their kids attend to their belongings.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Unattended consequences," 26 July 2017
Eric Greitens Facebook Earlier this month, the Kansas City Council approved new ride hailing regulations that comport with relaxed state rules and opened the door for Lyft to return to Kansas City.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Lyft and Taco Bell team up for late-night drive-thru munchies," 25 July 2017
This did not comport with the controlling regulations.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "Trump Has Himself, Not Sessions, to Blame for the Limitless Mueller Investigation," 22 July 2017
These numbers comport with numerous other investigations which have found that forfeiture efforts tend to target poor neighborhoods.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Sessions' asset forfeiture plan could mean $65 million for states, cities," 19 July 2017
This week, the president named another appointee whose background doesn’t really comport with her new position: Lynne Patton, who will head the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which comprises New York and New Jersey.

— jeremy venook, The Atlantic, "Trump’s Interests vs. America’s, Vancouver Edition," 13 July 2017
Happily, humanity is comporting itself with ever-increasing rationality in the face of this growing threat.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Forests and Oceans Seem to Be Absorbing Less Carbon Than They Used To," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comport.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

comport and Behavior

With its prefix com-, "with", the Latin word comportare meant "to bring together". So it's easy to see how in English we could say that a college's policy comports with state law, or that a visit to your parents doesn't comport with your other weekend plans, or that your aunt and uncle won't listen to anything on TV that doesn't comport with their prejudices. The "behave" sense of the word comes through French, and its essential meaning is how a person "carries" him- or herself. So you may say, for instance, that your 17-year-old comported himself well (for once!) at the wedding reception, or that an ambassador always comports herself with dignity—that is, her comportment is always dignified—or that your class comported itself in a way that was a credit to the school.

Origin and Etymology of comport

Middle French comporter to bear, conduct, from Latin comportare to bring together, from com- + portare to carry — more at fare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1589

See Words from the same year

comport Synonyms

Synonyms

accord, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, check, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), sort, square, tally

Antonyms

differ (from), disagree (with)

Related Words

equal, match, parallel; align (also aline), line up, register

Near Antonyms

contradict, dispute, gainsay; negate, nullify; clash, conflict, jar

Synonym Discussion of comport

behave, conduct, deport, comport, acquit mean to act or to cause oneself to do something in a certain way. behave may apply to the meeting of a standard of what is proper or decorous.

- the children behaved in church

conduct implies action or behavior that shows the extent of one's power to control or direct oneself.

- conducted herself with unfailing good humor

deport implies behaving so as to show how far one conforms to conventional rules of discipline or propriety.

- the hero deported himself in accord with the code of chivalry

comport suggests conduct measured by what is expected or required of one in a certain class or position.

- comported themselves as gentlemen

acquit applies to action under stress that deserves praise or meets expectations.

- acquitted herself well in her first assignment

comport

play

noun com·port \ ˈkäm-ˌpȯrt \

Definition of comport

:compote 2

Recent Examples of comport from the Web

The display in the images and video comports with reports that the OLED screen may be flat – or at least flatter than the curved OLED display on the Samsung Galaxy S8.

— brooke crothers, Fox News, "Is this the iPhone 8?," 12 May 2017