conform

verb

con·form | \ kən-ˈfȯrm

conformed; conforming; conforms

Definition of conform

: to give the same shape, outline, or contour to : bring into harmony or accord conform furrows to the slope of the land

intransitive verb

1 : to be similar or identical also : to be in agreement or harmony —used with to or with changes that conform with our plans

2a : to be obedient or compliant —usually used with to conform to another's wishesThe building doesn't conform to local regulations.

b : to act in accordance with prevailing standards or customs the pressure to conform

Other Words from conform Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about conform

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Choose the Right Synonym for conform

adapt, adjust, accommodate, conform, reconcile mean to bring one thing into correspondence with another. adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances. adapted themselves to the warmer climate adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism. adjusted the budget to allow for inflation accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence. accommodated his political beliefs in order to win conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle. refused to conform to society's values reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible. tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

Did You Know?

Conform, with its prefix con-, "with" or "together", means basically "to adopt the form of those around you". Thus, employee behavior must usually conform with basic company policies. A certain philosophy may be said to conform with American values (even if we sometimes have a hard time agreeing on exactly what those are). And a Maine Coon cat or a Dandie Dinmont terrier must conform to its breed requirements in order to be registered for breeding purposes. Being a conformist is usually a safe bet; being a nonconformist, who ignores society's standards and the whole idea of conformity, can be a bit dangerous but also sometimes more fun.

Examples of conform in a Sentence

Most teenagers feel pressure to conform. the list conforms with the contents of the trunk

Recent Examples on the Web

Being kept apart is what drove Philip and Becky to start making plans to end their lives, a development that conforms with researchers’ findings. — Ann Neumann, Harper's magazine, "Going to Extremes," 10 June 2019 About two-thirds of all people on the streets of metro Los Angeles are male, just under one-third are female, and about 2% identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. — Washington Post, "Homelessness rises 12% in Los Angeles County, study finds," 4 June 2019 Nowlan, Clayton, and thousands of women and gender non-conforming (GNC) people are leading a movement to change this dynamic —across the state of California and nationwide. — Alicia Garza, Marie Claire, "Alicia Garza on How Women Are Battling Mass Incarceration," 30 Apr. 2019 Transphobia is people rejecting trans and gender non-conforming (or TGNC) identities. — Megan Lasher, Seventeen, "What Does 'Cisgender' Mean?," 13 Mar. 2019 The pressure to be on or use Facebook in order to self-promote, distribute information, and do one’s job effectively is so pervasive that most of us probably don’t even really think of it as pressure to conform. — Aja Romano, Vox, "How Facebook made it impossible to delete Facebook," 20 Dec. 2018 People are routinely sent to labor camps for violations of thought or deeds that do not conform to the totalitarian country’s standards. — Brian Finlay, Fortune, "Businesses Are Salivating Over an Open North Korea. Should They Be?," 20 June 2018 Though there had always been women who supported their families, and families that didn’t conform to the mom-dad-kids model, in the late 20th century American society began to recognize that truth in a new way. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "What It Means to Be a 'Good' Father in America Has Changed. Here's How," 15 June 2018 Now to the district's policy about students who are transgender or students who don't conform to gender role stereotypes. — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Transgender girl elected prom queen at Homestead High School," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conform.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.