Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Adhering to established customs or doctrines (especially in religion): Describes a person or behavior that follows traditional rules and beliefs, particularly in a religious context.
   • Marked by convention and conformity to customs or rules or styles: Describes something that is conventional and aligns with prevailing standards, norms, or fashions.

2. Noun:

   • Someone who conforms to established standards of conduct (especially in religious matters): A person who follows accepted behaviors, practices, or beliefs, often without question or innovation.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The community's conformist attitudes made it difficult for new ideas to gain acceptance.
  • Underneath their radical fashion, their opinions were quite conformist.
• Noun:
  • He was a conformist who never challenged the traditional practices of his church.
  • In that era, being a conformist was often safer than being an innovator.

Advanced Usage

• Sociological Context: Used to describe social behavior where individuals align their attitudes and behaviors with group norms.
  • The study examined the pressures that create conformist behavior in corporate cultures.
• As a Pejorative Term: Often used critically to imply a lack of independence or originality.
  • The artist rejected the conformist ideals of the mainstream art world.

Variants and Related Words

• Conform (verb): To comply with rules, standards, or laws; to behave according to social norms.
  • Employees are expected to conform to the company's dress code.
• Conformity (noun): Compliance with standards, rules, or laws; behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions.
  • Social conformity can suppress individual creativity.
• Nonconformist (noun/adjective): A person whose behavior or views do not conform to prevailing ideas or practices.
  • She was a nonconformist writer who challenged every literary convention.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Conventional, traditional, orthodox, conservative.
• Noun: Traditionalist, follower, conventionalist.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Nonconformist, unconventional, unorthodox, rebellious.
• Noun: Nonconformist, rebel, individualist, innovator.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Toe the line: To conform to a rule or standard.
  • In that strict school, all students were expected to toe the line.
• Go with the flow: To conform to the prevailing opinion or course of action.
  • He didn't have strong opinions, so he just decided to go with the flow.

Adjective

1. adhering to established customs or doctrines (especially in religion)
2. marked by convention and conformity to customs or rules or styles
   • underneath the radical image teenagers are surprisingly conformist

Noun

1. someone who conforms to established standards of conduct (especially in religious matters)