con-

together, with; sometimes thoroughly

Forms

con-
com- — Used before certain consonants, especially b, p, and m.
col- — The final consonant changed before l.
cor- — The final consonant changed before r.
co- — The final consonant was lost in some combinations.

Origin

From Latin cum, “with,” and an older form com-.

Note

Togetherness could extend to completeness. Not every word containing this prefix retains an obvious “with” meaning.

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verb

conform

kuhn-FORM/kənˈfɔːrm/

To fit an expected standard or requirement.

The woman conforms to the workshop's safety requirement by putting on goggles.

At a workshop entrance, a woman puts on safety goggles to match the mandatory eye-protection pictogram beside the doorway; a coworker already wears the same protection.

Etymology

conLatintogether, with; sometimes thoroughly

+formLatinshape or give form to

The pieces suggest shaping things together into agreement. Conforming came to mean making oneself similar to an example, hence following rules or accepted ways of behaving.

In context

Steubenville Conferences30:45

conform our actions in accordance with the truth about God about nature about reality

Dr. Ryan Anderson | When Harry Became Sally | Defending the Faith Conference

More examples

The revised contract now conforms with state law.
We changed the packaging to conform to shipping requirements.
She feels pressure to conform to her family's expectations.

Forms

conform · conforms · conformed · conforming

conformity noun — Compliance with established rules, standards, or expectations.

Similar words

comply: Emphasizes obeying rules or instructions, especially through deliberate action.
meet: Emphasizes satisfying a particular condition, threshold, or need.
match: Emphasizes correspondence in features rather than fulfillment of requirements.