conformity

English

Etymology

From Middle English conformyte, from Middle French conformité.[1] By surface analysis, conform +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kənˈfɔːmɪti/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /kənˈfoɹmɪti/, [kənˈfoɹmɪɾi], /kənˈfoɹməti/, [kənˈfoɹməɾi]
    • Audio (Southern California):(file)
  • (Australia) IPA(key): /kənˈfoːmɪti/, [kənˈfoːmɪɾi], /kənˈfoːməti/, [kənˈfoːməɾi]
  • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /kənˈfoːməti/, [kənˈfoːməɾi]
  • Hyphenation: con‧for‧mi‧ty

Noun

conformity (countable and uncountable, plural conformities)

  1. The state of things being similar or identical.
    Synonyms: homogeneity, uniformity; see also Thesaurus:uniformity
  2. A point of resemblance; a similarity.
  3. The state of being conforming, of complying with a set of rules, with a norm or standard.
    Synonyms: compliance, conformance; see also Thesaurus:conformity
  4. The ideology of adhering to one standard or social uniformity.
    • 1967, Tynan, Kenneth, Tynan Right and Left:
      How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself.

Usage notes

Antonyms

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Translations

References

  1. ^ “conformity, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.