configure

verb

con·​fig·​ure kən-ˈfi-gyər 

 especially British  -ˈfi-gə

configured; configuring

transitive verb

: to set up for operation especially in a particular way

a fighter plane configured for the Malaysian air force

Examples of configure in a Sentence

The instructions tell you how to configure the kit correctly.

The plane is configured for military use.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond its use as a mindset translator, AI could be configured as a mindset cartographer, to chart the sprawling territories of human understanding. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Customers can configure each agent's level of access and autonomy, including whether the agent acts under its own identity (with a unique username and password) or as an extension of a human account. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

There will be no avoiding a revenue impact this season as the Rays move from Tropicana Field—which has been configured to hold roughly 25,000 fans since 2018, with 54 luxury suites, and can be expanded to around 42,000—to a 10,046-seat minor league ballpark with 13 suites. —Brett Knight, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

The sofa can be configured in a bunch of ways, from a two-seat couch made up of two pieces to a full four-piece sofa that has an ottoman and room for an entire family. —Will Porter, Architectural Digest, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English configuren (as past participle configurid) "to model on, conform to," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French configurer "to compare, form," borrowed from Latin configūrāre "to mold, shape," from con- con- + figūrāre "to shape, form, make a likeness of" — more at figure entry 2

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing configure

• pre-configure

Rhymes for configure

• disfigure
• prefigure
• figure
• reconfigure

Kids Definition

configure

verb

con·​fig·​ure kən-ˈfig-yər 

configured; configuring

: to set up for operation especially in a particular way

ships configured for observation