Correspond

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒɹɪˈspɒnd/

Definitions

  1. To communicate by exchanging letters or messages | to be in agreement or accord with something | to be similar or equivalent to another thing
  2. To engage in communication through written messages | To be in harmony or alignment with specific criteria or expectations | To share similarities or equivalences in characteristics or qualities
  3. To engage in written communication with someone | To conform or be in agreement with a particular idea or standard | To possess similarities or equivalences in relation to another entity or concept

Etymology: The verb in question emerges from the Latin verb "correspondere," which means "to answer together" or "to be in agreement." This Latin term itself combines the prefix "cor-" (a variant of "com-," meaning "together") with "respondere," meaning "to answer" or "to respond." Thus, the original sense centers on mutual communication or matching responses. This verb entered English in the late 16th century, adopting the sense of exchanging letters or messages—essentially, to "answer together" through written correspondence. Early uses often referred to the act of writing letters back and forth, a practice fundamental to maintaining relationships across distances before modern communication. Over time, the meaning expanded beyond just letter-writing to encompass any kind of mutually consistent or matching relationship. For instance, one might say that two facts correspond if they align or agree with each other. This shift from concrete communication to abstract agreement illustrates the flexibility of the root idea—responding together can mean both exchanging messages and fitting together harmoniously. The pronunciation, with stress on the second syllable, reflects the word’s Latin-derived structure and emphasizes the core of the action—"respond"—within the longer form. This verb’s journey from a Latin phrase about mutual answering to a broadly used English term for exchanging letters or aligning ideas shows how a word can move from specific social practice to a more general concept of harmony or agreement.

Synonyms: communicate, match, concur

Antonyms: differ, disagree