comply
Americanverb (used without object)
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complies,
present (3rd person singular)
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complied,
past participle, past
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complying
present participle
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to act or be in accordance with wishes, requests, demands, requirements, conditions, etc.; agree (sometimes followed bywith ).
They asked him to leave and he complied.
She has complied with the requirements.
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Obsolete. to be courteous or conciliatory.
verb
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(usually foll by with) to act in accordance with rules, wishes, etc; be obedient (to)
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obsolete to be obedient or complaisant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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complysimple
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compliessimple
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have compliedperfect
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has compliedperfect
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am complyingprogressive
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are complyingprogressive
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is complyingprogressive
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have been complyingperfect progressive
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has been complyingperfect progressive
Past
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compliedsimple
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had compliedperfect
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was complyingprogressive
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were complyingprogressive
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had been complyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of comply
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Italian complire, from Spanish cumplir ( see compliment) “to fulfill, accomplish,” from Latin complēre, equivalent to com- com- + plēre “to fill”
Explanation
Comply is to act according to someone's wishes or rules. Although you might like to stay out with your friends, you'll have to comply with your parents' rules and be home by midnight. Comply shares a root with the word, complete. In a way, when you comply with a rule or agreement, you are completing it, or completing your part in it. When someone is in compliance with an agreement or a legal ruling, that means that they have done everything they needed to satisfy the ruling. Comply with the rules of grammar or your English teacher will turn your paper red with ink!
Vocabulary lists containing comply
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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The Hate U Give
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The construction contract said the project had to comply with the city’s bridge code, but that was wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Brokerages and trading firms have complained that they must pay for pricing data from all of those exchanges, even small ones, to comply with the rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
"They can become a cable channel, they can become a podcast, they can stream online. But if you want to uniquely be on the public's airwaves, you have to comply with those obligations."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
It was not immediately clear how the decision would comply with a federal judge's order in May that Trump's name be removed from the facade, as only Congress can change it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
I comply, and Phil slips a soft cloth over my tightened lids and ties it behind my head, taking care not to tangle my hair.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
In a statement, a Coinbase spokeswoman said the company “fully complies with applicable laws.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Viagogo says it now complies with local law in both countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
CoreCivic calls such allegations unfounded and says it complies with all regulations concerning the treatment of detainees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
"Whilst this complies with the judgment we want to further improve changing facilities for all colleagues."
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Marguerite lays down the spoon and complies without question.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Credova, Kent said, fully complied with laws requiring the transparent disclosure of the terms of its leases, adding that “the matter was resolved with no finding of wrongdoing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
She insists it has always complied with the law.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Like Anthropic, rival AI lab OpenAI has also complied with Washington's requests to restrict its own release of a new, powerful model called GPT-5.6 to a limited set of approved partners.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Under the old system, the state superintendent has overseen grants while also interpreting state education law and making sure schools complied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Both players were required to keep a record of their moves to prove, if necessary, that they’d complied with the time limit.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
If the plan is adopted in October by the State Water Resources Control Board, it would give water agencies two ways of complying with Delta water quality rules.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
TfL says when its officers encounter someone playing their device out loud, they will typically ask them to stop, with most people complying.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The agency said its officers are trained to enforce immigration laws while protecting public safety and complying with federal law.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
He added Apple's "resources would be better spent directed towards complying in full and without delay with the law".
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Youths get “positive checks” for complying with the rules, but also for using the interpersonal skills necessary to do well on the outside—skills like asking for help or talking through a conflict.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
