Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Configuration has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
an arrangement of parts or elements
"the outcome depends on the configuration of influences at the time"
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
"he could barely make out their shapes"
Form, as depending on the relative disposition of the parts of a thing's shape; figure; form factor.
"The new smartphone has a compact configuration that makes it easy to slip into any pocket."
In plain English: Configuration is the specific way something is set up or arranged to work correctly.
"The software installation failed because my computer's current configuration was incompatible with the new update."
Usage: Use configuration to describe the specific arrangement or layout of components within a system, such as hardware settings or room design. It refers to how individual parts are positioned and connected to function together as a whole unit.
The word entered English from Middle French and originally referred to the act of arranging or fitting together parts into a specific shape. It derives from the Latin cōnfigūrātiō, which literally means "a forming together."