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Origin and history of conform

conform(v.)

mid-14c., confourmen, "be obedient (to God), comply," from Old French conformer "conform (to), agree (to), make or be similar, be agreeable" (13c.) and directly from Latin conformare "to fashion, to form, to shape; educate; modify," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + formare "to form" (see form (v.)).

The meaning "to make of the same form or character; bring into harmony, make agreeable," and the intransitive sense of "act in accordance with an example" are attested from late 14c.

The sense of "comply with the usages of the Church of England" is from 1610s; hence conformist (1630s) in the religious sense, opposed to non-conformist or dissenter. Related: Conformed; conforming; conformance.

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to conform

conformist(n.)

"one who conforms" in any way, 1630s, from conform + -ist. Compare conformism. Originally usually with reference to religion, "one who complies with the form of worship of the Church of England."

form(v.)

c. 1300, formen, fourmen, "create, give life to, give shape or structure to; make, build, construct, devise," from Old French fourmer "formulate, express; draft, create, shape, mold" (12c.) and directly from Latin formare "to shape, fashion, build," also figurative, from forma "form, contour, figure, shape" (see form (n.)). From late 14c. as "go to make up, be a constituent part of;" intransitive sense "take form, come into form" is from 1722. Related: Formed; forming.

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deviate
1630s, "turn aside or wander from the (right) way," from Late Latin deviatus, past participle of deviare "to turn aside, turn out of the way," from Latin phrase de via, from de "off" (see de-) + via "way" (see via). Meaning "take a different course, diverge, differ" is from 1690s
adjust
late 14c., ajusten, "to correct, remedy," from Old French ajuster, ajoster "add; assemble; calibrate, gauge, regulate," from Late Latin adiuxtare "to bring near," from ad "to" (see ad-) + Latin iuxta "next, close by" (from suffixed form of PIE root *yeug- "to join"). In 16c. Fren
Christianity
Gradually respelled to conform with Latin. Christendom is the older word for it. Old English also had cristennes....
victuals
Spelling altered early 16c. to conform with Latin, but pronunciation remains "vittles."...
prescriptivism
moral judgments are prescriptions;" by 1977 in reference to language, "the belief that the grammar of a language should conform...
scantling
1520s, "measured or prescribed size," altered (to conform to -ling words) from earlier scantlon, scantiloun, scantillon "...
parliament
.)); the spelling was altered c. 1400 to conform with Medieval Latin parliamentum....
square
mid-13c., "mason's tool for measuring right angles, carpenter's square," from Old French esquire "a square, squareness," from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, a back-formation from *exquadrare "to square," from Latin ex "out" (see ex-) + quadrare "make square, set in order, complete," fro
obey
c. 1300, obeien, "carry out the commands of (someone); submit to (a command, rule, etc.); be ruled by," from Old French obeir "obey, be obedient, do one's duty" (12c.), from Latin obedire, oboedire "obey, be subject, serve; pay attention to, give ear," literally "listen to," from
scan
late 14c., scannen, "to mark off verse in metric feet, analyze verse according to its meter," from Late Latin scandere "to scan verse," originally, in classical Latin, "to climb, rise, mount" (the connecting notion is of the rising and falling rhythm of poetry), from PIE *skand-

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