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

This removes the need to manually configure documents before sending them. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 11 May 2026

The club must also configure what’s most valuable in the long term. —Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 May 2026

That’s particularly noteworthy with sloths, with faces configured in a permanently benevolent expression. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026

There’s also an extra week or two of delay for a handful of MacBook Pros configured with 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage upgrades, though in general, there’s basically no sign that Apple is struggling to secure enough storage (even if some price increases have been passed on to buyers). —ArsTechnica, 8 May 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