conform

verb

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con·form | \ kən-ˈfȯrm

conformed; conforming; conforms

Definition of conform

transitive verb

: 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. businesses accommodating themselves to the new political reality 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 Women who didn’t conform to expectations of being kind and nurturing were also less likely to have landed any job. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 12 July 2021 The Supreme Court on Monday confirmed unanimously that the National Collegiate Athletic Association is a business that has to conform to the same antitrust rules as any other business. — Joe Nocera Bloomberg Opinion, Star Tribune, 22 June 2021 Student-athletes may not enter into NIL agreements with companies, businesses, causes or products that do not conform to the BYU Honor Code Standards. — Norma Gonzalez, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 July 2021 Radicals share his goal of destroying white supremacy, but an old man who preaches old-fashioned morality does not conform to the modern model of an activist. — Aram Goudsouzian, The Conversation, 2 June 2021 Curiously, some of them retain their Waverly village street numbers, which do not conform to the standard Baltimore City street grid. — Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 22 May 2021 But the original open plan concept also had some flaws, including an inescapable bro culture that sometimes led to toxic behaviors and marginalizing those who didn’t conform. — Meghan M. Biro, Forbes, 18 May 2021 However, experts have said those studies often include children who aren’t transgender, but just don’t conform to typical gender norms, such as a boy who plays with dolls. — Megan Munce, San Antonio Express-News, 17 May 2021 The Chengdu Hunters were notable for being a weird team that didn’t conform to metas last season. — Sean Collins, Dallas News, 4 May 2021

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.