conformist:

(plural: ‘conformists‘; pronunciation: the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)

to conform = to act according to the customs and practices or a formula; to obey rules and regulations and behave according to the conditions or expectations; to fit in; in agreement with, e.g. She conforms with her friends’ idea of a rich girl., i.e. she behaves in such a way that is suitable for a rich girl — wearing expensive clothes, spending a lot of money, throwing parties, sending huge presents to her friends, etc. & The student was not allowed into the exam hall until he conformed to the rules.

a person who acts and thinks according to and in agreement with the established rules, regulations, values and customs of a group, society or religion, i.e. follows/obeys the rules and customs of his/her group, society or religion without doubt or question,

a typical conformist

e.g.

Though young Maggy looks reckless and unorthodox, she is surprisingly a conformist when it comes to family occasions, such as birthdays, wedding and death anniversaries, etc. —  following all the formalities: sending greetings, wearing traditional dresses, showing concern about her grandparents!

Some people think that conformists are individuals without any mind of their own and they always strive to follow others’ opinions.

The non-conformists are usually looked down upon and in some instances and at certain places they are persecuted, too.

Some philosophers fear that too much conformity and too many conformists in a culture may wipe out the culture or civilisation they live in because they do not accept changes that are needed according to the changes in time!

a gang of young non-conformists

For a serious piece of writing on ‘being a conformist’, please click here, and for an article on ‘political conformity’, please click here.  For a blog post on the difference between a conformist and a non-conformist, please click here. And for an entirely different usage of conformist — used as the name of a moth, please click here.  For a challenging article on being a Chinese conformist, please click here.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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