Meaning & use
conformance
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Meaning
noununcountable
The fact of following a rule, standard, or specification exactly.
Grammar: Usually with to or with: conformance to the standard.
Patterns
- conformance to something
- conformance with something
- in conformance with something
The inspector checked the building's conformance with fire regulations.
Test results showed full conformance to the industry standard.
Every supplier must prove conformance before signing a contract.
Common combinations
- conformance to standards
- Conformance to standards is checked every quarter.
- in conformance with
- The software was written in conformance with the specification.
- conformance testing
- Conformance testing found three errors.
- ensure conformance
- Managers must ensure conformance across all sites.
- a conformance certificate
- The firm received a conformance certificate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compliance
- Compliance is more common for laws and regulations, whereas conformance often refers to technical standards.
- conformity
- Conformity is broader and also covers people copying social behavior, which conformance rarely does.
- adherence
- Adherence stresses sticking to a rule over time, while conformance stresses matching a defined standard.
Opposites
Word family
- conform verb
- to follow rules or standards
- conformity noun
- behavior that follows accepted rules or norms
- conformist noun
- a person who follows accepted behavior
- nonconformance noun
- failure to meet a standard
Commonly confused: conformance or conformity?
conformance vs conformity
Conformity often means copying what others do socially, whereas conformance means meeting a specified standard.
Practice
Which preposition completes the sentence? The product showed full conformance ____ the safety standard.
Choose one answer.
Conformance is followed by to or with. The other prepositions are not used with this noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conformance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.