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
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.
Community clinics that fail to comply would be penalized, with fines placed in a state-managed fund to be spent on clinic workforce programs.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
“I still have to comply with my promise.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
"Asylum seekers are expected to stay in contact with the Home Office and comply with the asylum process – failure to do so could lead to their claim being withdrawn and support being discontinued."
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
In the months after this order was signed, most states did not comply, and the Justice Department filed lawsuits to force their hands.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
I did feel different: larger, fuller, more complete, no longer divided against myself—compulsion to comply against wish to refuse.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
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.
