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con·form (kən-fôrm)
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v. con·formed, con·form·ing, con·forms
v.intr.
1.
a. To be or act in accord with a set of standards, expectations, or specifications: a computer that conforms with the manufacturer's advertising claims; students learning to conform to school safety rules. See Synonyms at correspond.
b. To act, often unquestioningly, in accordance with traditional customs or prevailing standards: "Our table manners ... change from time to time, but the changes are not reasoned out; we merely notice and conform" (Mark Twain).
2. To be similar in form or pattern: a windy road that conforms to the coastline; a shirt that conforms to different body shapes.
v.tr.
To bring into accord or agreement; cause to correspond or comply: "a woman who has conformed herself to the male-designed image of virtuous widowhood so that she can live in peace" (Jennifer Panek). See Synonyms at adapt.

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

con·former n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.