configure

verb

con·​fig·​ure kən-ˈfi-gyər 

especially British -ˈfi-gə

configured; configuring

transitive verb

: to set up for operation especially in a particular way

a fighter plane configured for the Malaysian air force

Examples of configure in a Sentence

The instructions tell you how to configure the kit correctly.

The plane is configured for military use.

Recent Examples on the Web

Moving toward preemptive cybersecurity can require a commitment to change management for many organizations that have their security programs configured in more traditional fashion. — Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Either can be configured independently for different actions, such as cycling through RGB effects. — Francisco Lahoz, PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2026

The arena floor is configured like a typical presidential convention, with signs for each state. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

O'Donnell said those terrain warnings reinforce that the plane was unsteady and suggest it may not have been configured correctly for landing. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English configuren (as past participle configurid) "to model on, conform to," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French configurer "to compare, form," borrowed from Latin configūrāre "to mold, shape," from con- con- + figūrāre "to shape, form, make a likeness of" — more at figure entry 2

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing configure

• pre-configure

Rhymes for configure

• disfigure
• prefigure
• figure
• reconfigure

Kids Definition

configure

verb

con·​fig·​ure kən-ˈfig-yər 

configured; configuring

: to set up for operation especially in a particular way

ships configured for observation