comply
Americanverb (used without object)
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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
- complier noun
- uncomplying adjective
Etymology
Origin of comply
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Italian complire, from Spanish cumplir ( compliment ) “to fulfill, accomplish,” from Latin complēre, equivalent to com- com- + plēre “to fill”
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.
According to the order, products from Canada and Mexico that comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will be exempt from the tariffs.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit, sued to halt ballroom construction, saying plans for the project did not comply with the legally mandated review processes.
From BBC
A lawsuit filed in December alleged that the city has routinely failed to comply with similar state regulations when it approved new construction in the city’s “very high fire hazard” areas.
From Los Angeles Times
Funeral industry trade associations require their members to comply with strict codes of conduct.
From BBC
Also, headlights are tested on the road by different authorities and "as a global car company, we need to comply with all of them".
From BBC
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.
