conform
gb/kənfˈɔɹm/ us/kənfˈɔɹm/
B2
Engleză
~ 9500
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Verb
B2
action
1
behave according to group norms
To do what other people in a group do, or to follow the normal way people act in a place or culture.
Tipar de utilizare:
to conform to [social norms/expectations]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse "conform" with "confirm". "Conform" is about being similar to others or following rules or norms, while "confirm" means to say that something is true or correct. Learners also sometimes say *"conform with the group"* in very informal contexts where native speakers are more likely to say "fit in with the group" and use "conform" in more formal or critical discussions.
Sinonime
fit in (More informal and everyday; focuses on feeling accepted rather than following norms in a more abstract or critical sense.)
Antonime
rebel (Stresses active resistance to group norms, while 'conform' is about going along with them.)
Colocații
conform to social norms
|conform to expectations
|conform to the majority
|conform to cultural standards
|pressure to conform
|socially conforming
Teme
society
|behavior
|psychology
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- She felt pressure to conform to the way her coworkers dressed and talked.
- In high school, he refused to conform to the popular crowd.
- New immigrants sometimes struggle with whether to conform to local customs or keep their own traditions.
- The company culture rewards those who conform rather than those who question things.
- He cut his hair short just to conform to his parents' idea of a ‘proper’ appearance.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- At that school, students must conform to many social rules.
- He does not want to conform to other people’s style.
- Teenagers often feel they should conform to their friends.
- Some people are happy to conform to the group.
- She thinks it is boring to conform to the usual way of life.
Verb
formal
B2
action
2
comply with rules or standards
To follow and obey a rule, law, or standard.
Tipar de utilizare:
to conform to [rules/standards/regulations]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition, saying *"conform with the rules"* instead of the more common "conform to the rules" in many varieties of English. Both are possible, but "conform to" is safer. Another mistake is using it transitively, e.g. *"The manager conformed the plan to the law"*; normally we say "The plan conforms to the law" or "The manager changed the plan to conform to the law."
Sinonime
comply (Very close in meaning in legal and formal contexts; "comply" is slightly more common and can sound a bit more neutral or administrative.)
Antonime
violate (Directly stresses breaking or ignoring rules or laws that one should conform to.)
Colocații
conform to regulations
|conform to standards
|conform to requirements
|conform to the law
|conform to safety guidelines
|fully conforming to specifications
Teme
law
|business
|work
Exemple
- All products must conform to the latest safety regulations.
- The new policy does not conform to national labor laws.
- Our software is designed to conform to international data protection standards.
- The building plans failed to conform to local zoning requirements.
- This document does not conform to the company’s formatting guidelines.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The factory must conform to health and safety rules.
- Your report should conform to the teacher’s instructions.
- Their website now conforms to new privacy laws.
- We must conform to the rules of this contest.
- The design does not conform to the official standard.
Verb
B2
action
3
take the shape of something
To change shape so that something fits or follows the shape of another thing closely.
Tipar de utilizare:
to conform to [the shape/surface of something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse this physical sense with the more abstract meaning of following rules. In product descriptions, if you read "conforms to your body," it usually means it changes shape, not that it follows any rules.
Sinonime
mold (Often used for materials that can be shaped or bent; "conform" emphasizes matching an existing shape, while "mold" can also mean creating a shape.)
Antonime
resist (In this context, describes a material that does not easily change its shape to match another surface.)
Colocații
conform to the shape of
|conform to the body
|conform to the surface
|material that conforms
|conforms to your curves
|conforms to the contours
Teme
physical_world
|design
|technology
|science
Exemple
- The memory foam mattress conforms to the shape of your body.
- These earplugs gently conform to the inside of your ear canal.
- The sheet of metal can be heated so it conforms to the curve of the roof.
- The bandage is designed to conform to the contours of your knee.
- Over time, the shoes will conform to the shape of your feet.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- This chair slowly conforms to your body.
- The soft plastic will conform to the table’s surface.
- The new shoes will conform to your feet after a week.
- The bandage must conform to the skin.
- The pillow conforms to the shape of my head.
Verb
formal
C1
relation
4
be consistent or in agreement
To be the same as, or not different from, a rule, idea, description, or pattern.
Tipar de utilizare:
to conform to/with [a description/model/pattern]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners often confuse this sense with simple similarity and use "conform" where "look like" or "seem like" would be more natural. Also, they may forget the preposition and write *"The data conform the theory"* instead of "conform to the theory."
Sinonime
match (More general and informal; "conform" sounds more formal and is often used in academic, legal, or official contexts.)
Antonime
contradict (Emphasizes active disagreement with data, statements, or expectations that something should conform to.)
Colocații
conform to the theory
|conform with the evidence
|conform to the pattern
|conform with our findings
|conform to the description
|conform with expectations
Teme
science
|academia
|law
|core_vocabulary
|education
Exemple
- The results of the experiment conform to the predictions of the model.
- Your account of the event does not conform with the other witnesses’ statements.
- These statistics do not conform to the normal distribution.
- The signature on the contract conforms to the one on her passport.
- The new evidence appears to conform with our earlier hypothesis.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The data do not conform to the theory.
- Her story does not conform with the facts.
- These numbers conform to the pattern we saw last year.
- The results conform with what we expected.
- His actions do not conform to his promises.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
conform
IPA
GB/kənfˈɔɹm/
US/kənfˈɔɹm/
Silabe și accent
con - form (2 silabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (form)
Forme ale cuvântului
Verb
- Base: conform
- 3rd Person Singular: conforms
- Present Participle: conforming
- Past: conformed
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
conforms
verb
conforming
verb
conformed
verb
Core family
conformity
noun C1
Related words
conformist
noun
Negative and opposite forms
nonconformity
noun
nonconformist
noun
Advanced or less common
conformance
noun
conformant
adjective
Expresii
conform to
1/kənfˈɔɹm tə/
fixed phrase
formal
follow or match rules/standards
To follow or be the same as rules, standards, or usual ways of doing things.
Exemple
- All employees must conform to the company code of conduct.
- The design does not conform to international safety standards.
- Her views do not always conform to traditional ideas about family.
conform to expectations
1/kənfˈɔɹm tə ˌɛkspɛktˈeɪʃənz/
fixed phrase
be as people expected
To be or act in the way that people thought or hoped you would.
Exemple
- Her performance did not conform to expectations, and many fans were disappointed.
- The product’s sales easily conformed to expectations in the first year.
- The test results failed to conform to expectations, so the team repeated the experiment.
conform to standards
1/kənfˈɔɹm tə stˈændɚdz/
fixed phrase
formal
meet official standards
To be good enough to match the rules or quality levels that are officially required.
Exemple
- All medical devices must conform to strict safety standards.
- The building does not conform to fire safety standards and must be upgraded.
- Our products conform to international quality standards.
conform with
1/kənfˈɔɹm wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
be in agreement with something
To agree with or be the same as rules, facts, or a standard.
Exemple
- Your explanation does not conform with the evidence we have.
- The new policy must conform with existing legislation.
- These figures conform with the results from last year’s survey.