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.
See Examples For:
It was unclear what kind of wanted notice Russia had issued and whether other countries or law enforcement bodies would accept or comply with it.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security had not issued final specific plans to comply with Trump’s directive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Google now has 60 days to comply with the regulations - or challenge them by taking the Commission to court.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $2 million per day, while failure to comply with an emergency shutdown order could carry penalties of up to $20 million per day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the fall of 1958, Virginia’s governor Lindsay Almond chained the doors of the schools in localities that attempted to comply with the Supreme Court’s Brown decision.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Flock has said it contracts with roughly 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide and that its technology complies with a California law that limits what information can be shared with federal authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
A spokesman for the MTA says it complies with regulations related to air quality, ventilation and workplace safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The judge said in his 84-page ruling that "instructions shall be issued to all border posts and civilian and military airports" to ensure Gomez complies with the ban on leaving the country.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
Ryanair called the investigation "bogus" and insisted its family seating policy "fully complies with all relevant laws".
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Even in her fear of the windstorm, she complies.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Audits by the county auditor-controller, city controller and an outside consulting firm found the agency wasn’t tracking how money was spent or whether housing providers complied with government contracts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Google complied, and police used that information to identify a man named Okello Chatrie as a suspect in the case.
From Slate ● 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
And for 100 minutes, as Morocco held local favorites Brazil to a draw, Cubans complied and put their troubles aside as football's World Cup came to state television on Saturday -- two days late.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
And when he was asked to show up in prison so the other saboteurs would know that everyone was caught and the mission was dead, he complied.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
An oversight spokesman told the Journal that both companies are complying with the inquiry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 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
Second, as a manufacturer cannot change EPA-approved labeling unilaterally, complying with both state and federal law would be impossible, preempting state suits.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Because the US has described the deal as performance-based, the sanctions relief specified in point 7 is tied to Iran complying with point 8.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
“You really creep me out sometimes, Manny,” Jus says, complying.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
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.
