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

Still, some portable power stations, such as the Anker Solix F3800 Plus, can be configured with a solar panel to feed power back into the grid. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

Rohleder configured its machine to make production warps up to 400 meters long. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

To Open Wi-Fi Audit phone apps to identify those configured to automatically connect to open Wi-Fi. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

AUVs for a wider range of missions One of the systems involved in the partnership is Vatn’s Skelmir S12, a relatively low-cost and modular AUV that can be configured with different ranges, sensors and levels of precision depending on the mission. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 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