Meaning & use
comport
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To behave in a particular way, especially in a dignified or proper manner.
Grammar: Usually used with a reflexive pronoun: comport yourself.
Patterns
- comport oneself
- comport oneself with something
- comport oneself in a certain way
She comported herself with grace during the difficult interview.
The young prince was taught to comport himself properly at official events.
He comported himself in a manner that impressed everyone.
verbintransitive
To be in agreement or harmony with something; to match or fit.
Grammar: Followed by with: comport with something.
Patterns
- comport with something
His actions do not comport with the values he claims to hold.
The new evidence comports with the theory that was proposed earlier.
Such behavior hardly comports with the standards of a professional.
Word forms
| third person singular | comports |
|---|---|
| past tense | comported |
| past participle | comported |
| -ing form | comporting |
Common combinations
- comport oneself with dignity
- She comported herself with dignity throughout the ordeal.
- comport oneself properly
- The students were expected to comport themselves properly at the ceremony.
- comport with
- The results comport with our earlier findings.
- comport oneself in a manner
- He comported himself in a manner that won him respect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- behave
- Behave is the everyday word for acting in a certain way and does not need a reflexive pronoun, while comport is formal and usually takes oneself.
- conduct
- Conduct yourself is very close in meaning but slightly less formal than comport yourself.
- accord
- Accord with means to match or agree and is used in similar formal contexts, but it does not mean to behave.
Word family
- comportment noun
- The way a person behaves, especially in a formal or dignified manner.
Commonly confused: comport or compost? comport or comfort?
comport vs compost
Compost is decaying plant material used as fertilizer; it sounds similar but is unrelated.
comport vs comfort
Comfort means to make someone feel less sad or worried; it is a different word with a similar spelling.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
When comport means 'behave', it takes a reflexive pronoun and the preposition 'with' for the manner: comport oneself with dignity. The other options are ungrammatical because they omit the reflexive pronoun or use the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comport”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.