con ‧ form AC /kənˈfɔːm $ -ɔːrm/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ conformity , ↑ conformist ; verb : ↑ conform ; adjective : ↑ conformist ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: conformer , from Latin , from com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + formare 'to form' ]
1 . to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave ⇨ conformist :
the pressure on schoolchildren to conform
conform to/with
people who do not conform to traditional standards of behaviour
2 . to obey a law, rule etc
conform to/with
Students can be expelled for refusing to conform to school rules.
All new buildings must conform with the regional development plan.
products which conform to international safety standards
3 . conform to a pattern/model/ideal etc to be similar to what people expect or think is usual:
Joseph does not conform to the stereotype of a policeman.
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THESAURUS
▪ behave to do and say things that are good, bad, normal, strange etc:
His teacher said he’d been behaving badly at school.
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I’m not going to talk to her until she starts behaving reasonably.
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Oh, be quiet! You’re behaving like a two-year-old.
▪ act to behave in a particular way, especially in a way that seems unusual, surprising, or annoying to other people:
Tina’s been acting very strangely lately.
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What makes grown people act like that?
▪ treat to behave towards someone or deal with someone in a particular way:
She said that he’d treated her really badly throughout their two-year marriage.
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I’m sick of my parents treating me like a child.
▪ conform to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave:
Young people sometimes want to rebel and therefore they refuse to conform.
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Society typically brings pressure on individuals and groups to conform to civilised norms.
▪ conduct yourself formal to behave in a particular way, especially in a situation where people will notice and judge the way you behave:
Public figures have a duty to conduct themselves responsibly, even in their private lives.
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By the end of the course, you should be able to conduct yourself with confidence in any meeting.