conform
verb
Simple meaning
To adapt to something by more closely matching it.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kuhnfawrmSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
kənˈfɔɹm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitiveintransitive
To adapt to something by more closely matching it, especially something normative.
transitiveintransitiveoften followed by to
To change to more closely match typical characteristics or behavior.
intransitiveof things or procedures
To be as required or recommended by a specification, regulation, or policy.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To adapt to something by more closely matching it, especially something normative.
Used this way, conform is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use conform
- “He tries to conform to the rules set by the community association.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Correspondence in form or appearance.
Correspondence in form or appearance.
A symmetrical arrangement of the parts of a thing.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.