Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To be or act in accord with a set of standards, expectations, or specifications: synonym: correspond.
  • intransitive verb To act, often unquestioningly, in accordance with traditional customs or prevailing standards.
  • intransitive verb To be similar in form or pattern.
  • intransitive verb To bring into accord or agreement; cause to correspond or comply: synonym: adapt.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make of the same form or character; make like; adjust: with to: as, to conform anything to a model or a standard.
  • To bring into harmony or correspondence; make agreeable; adapt; submit: often with a reflexive pronoun.
  • To act conformably, compliantly, or in accordance: with to: as, to conform to the fashion or to custom.
  • In English history, to comply with the usages of the Established Church: in this sense often used absolutely. See conformity, 3.
  • Conformable.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To be in accord or harmony; to comply; to be obedient; to submit; -- with to or with.
  • intransitive verb (Eng. Eccl. Hist.) To comply with the usages of the Established Church; to be a conformist.
  • adjective Of the same form; similar in import; conformable.
  • transitive verb To shape in accordance with; to make like; to bring into harmony or agreement with; -- usually with to or unto.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb intransitive, of persons To act in accordance with expectations; to behave in the manner of others, especially as a result of social pressure.
  • verb intransitive, etc. To be in accordance with a set of specifications or regulations, or with a policy or guideline.
  • verb transitive To make similar in form or nature; to make suitable for a purpose; to adapt.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be similar, be in line with
  • verb adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English conformen, from Old French conformer, from Latin cōnfōrmāre, to shape after : com-, com- + fōrmāre, to shape (from fōrma, shape).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English conformen, from Old French conformer, from Latin conformāre ("to mould, to shape after")

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Examples

Comments

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  • She has always been a conformist.

    April 14, 2007

  • Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.

    -The Tale Of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo

    August 4, 2009