Etymograph

English

configure

Configure comes from Latin configurō ‘to conform to’, from figūrō ‘figure’, and ultimately from figūra.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfigūra1‘shape, form, figure’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfigūrō1‘figure’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEconfigurō2as configurare‘to conform to’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400configurer2
  5. Englishtodayconfigure2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin configuro
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English configure

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfigūraWiktionary, Latin configuro‘shape, form, figure’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfigūrōWiktionary, Latin configuro‘figure’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEconfigurōWiktionary, English configureas configurare‘to conform to’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400configurerWiktionary, English configure
  5. EnglishtodayconfigureWiktionary, English configure

Linked words

through Latin figūra ‘shape, form, figure’

figurine, figural, 5 more

through Latin figūrō ‘figure’

figuration, 3 more

Today it means

verb To set up or arrange something in such a way that it is ready for operation for a particular purpose, or to someone's particular liking

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “configure”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin configuro. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin figūra / configure

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