conform

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 toconform 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 Hegedish explained that the aging schools are in need of multiple renovations and do not conform to contemporary educational objectives. — cleveland, "Independence school board swears in members, plans for upcoming year," 9 Jan. 2020 Posey wrote that in reviewing the first 39 planes, Southwest found 30 undocumented repairs and 42 that did not conform to standards. — CBS News, "Federal officials threatened to ground dozens of Southwest jets," 12 Nov. 2019 More often than not, the TikTok dadi doesn’t conform to the stereotype of a solemn, elderly lady, confined to her routine, dull life. — Sanaya Chandar, Quartz India, "Can’t make your video go viral on TikTok? Maybe your grandma can help," 19 Dec. 2019 This includes 14 windows installed in the rear of the building that don’t conform to historic standards. — J.k. Dineen, SFChronicle.com, "Gentrification watchdog accused of violations in multimillion dollar SF home flip," 5 Dec. 2019 But that environment relies on an administrative and programming style that doesn’t conform to the requirements of most federal grants, which provide billions of dollars’ worth of support to HIV programs worldwide. — Keren Landman, Quartz, "How community support is helping black gay men with HIV thrive," 1 Dec. 2019 But police say Moore's reenactment of his actions did not conform to the physical evidence. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Charges filed in execution-style slaying," 18 Nov. 2019 Alaska Public Media reports that the 2018 statistical analysis from the agency’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program says Alaska does not conform to a general national decline in violent crime. — USA TODAY, "Surfboard proposal, Duke dorm opossum, Sky Bar’s back: News from around our 50 states," 15 Nov. 2019 That didn’t sit well with Beckham or fellow receiver Jarvis Landry, who also was informed his cleats didn’t conform with the dress code and needed to be changed. — Pat Graham, The Denver Post, "Broncos, NFL kick Odell Beckham Jr. and Browns while they’re down," 3 Nov. 2019

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.