MEANING
1. To match, agree with, or have a parallel role in relation to something else.
2. To exchange letters or other written messages with another person.
Use it for
comparing a model’s categories with observed cases; identifying elements that play equivalent roles; testing whether an account fits the evidenceDistinguishes a match or equivalent role from written communication. Academic functions: Comparison / Contrast.
Words that belong together
- correspond to a category
- correspond closely to
- correspond with the evidence
On the page
The categories do not correspond neatly to the distinctions participants themselves make.
A symbol in one account may correspond to a different symbol serving the same role in another.
The two scholars continued to correspond despite disagreeing about the interpretation.
Evidence that the writers corresponded establishes contact, not that either adopted the other’s position.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- correspond
- Past tense
- corresponded
- Past participle
- corresponded
- Present participle
- corresponding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- correspond
- Present continuous
- am/is/are corresponding
- Present perfect
- have/has corresponded
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been corresponding
- Past
- corresponded
- Past continuous
- was/were corresponding
- Past perfect
- had corresponded
- Past perfect continuous
- had been corresponding
- Future
- will correspond
- Future continuous
- will be corresponding
- Future perfect
- will have corresponded
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been corresponding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Intransitive. Correspond to often means match or map onto; correspond with can mean agree with or exchange messages with. Third-person corresponds; past/participle corresponded; present participle corresponding. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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