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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.
Synonyms
Examples of comport in a Sentence
Natan Sachs, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2023
There’s a delightfully sharp response to the steering, yet a manageable, stable feeling to how the chassis comports itself when cornering.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2023
The Israeli response that followed comported largely with the pattern described by the CPJ report.
—Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
Certainly, Cadillac’s 390 ci V-8 engine—mated to an automatic transmission—makes the swanky two-door Coupe De Ville a long-legged cruiser that will gracefully comport the thirsty 19-foot-long monster to the local Dairy Queen, miniature golf course, or even the most opulent museum gala.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 9 May 2023
On Saturday, Harry comported himself gracefully and gave the British tabloids, forever in search of more outrage fuel, little to complain about.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2023
Saudi Aramco's move is a direct action to comport with Vision 2030, an initiative by Saudi Arabia to build and diversify its economy while reducing the nation's dependency on hydrocarbons through the use of advanced technologies, such as drones for inspecting oil and gas lines.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
They are suspended, elongated, twisted and knotted, taking an object that was created to reshape women’s bodies to comport with expectations and turning it on its head, gesturing to the saggy, bloated and bulging bits of the body that so many have been conditioned to scorn.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2022
They are suspended, elongated, twisted and knotted, taking an object that was created to reshape women's bodies to comport with expectations and turning it on its head, gesturing to the saggy, bloated and bulging bits of the body that so many have been conditioned to scorn.
—Kelsey Ables, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2022
Ryan Fonsecastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2022
The case could result in substantial changes, as the plaintiffs are challenging whether the amounts and method of distribution of the annual education subsidies issued by the General Assembly comport with the state Constitution.
—From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 28 July 2022
No more than acceptance of subordination is an argument in favor of patriarchy or slavery can shunting political choice away from openly political forums comport with our ideal of collective self-government (let alone be required by it).
—Ryan D. Doerfler, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2021
Susanka's ideas comport with like-minded design enthusiasts gleaned from their Uruguayan backgrounds.
—Rohan Preston, Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But reconciliation also limits what provisions lawmakers can approve, and the Senate’s nonpartisan parliamentarian found that raising the minimum wage didn’t comport with reconciliation’s rules.
—Eric Morath, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2021
As an abattoir of reason, the ad at least comports with the spirit of this bailout.
—Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2019
Trump has authored Twitter posts before about sanctions that didn’t comport with U.S. policy and that aides struggled to explain.
—The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 21 June 2019
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comport.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Verb
Middle French comporter to bear, conduct, from Latin comportare to bring together, from com- + portare to carry — more at fare
Verb
1589, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1771, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing comport
Dictionary Entries Near comport
Cite this Entry
“Comport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comport. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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