Definition of comport
- actions that comport with policy
- comported himself well in the crisis
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
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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.
First Known Use: 1589
in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
See Words from the same year1771
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