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 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:
This, it was argued, enabled the club to appear to comply with Premier League and Uefa financial rules.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Mejia wasn’t prepared to lay out his next steps if LA28 doesn’t comply with his demands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
To comply, some funds began selling holdings, spooking investors who started trying to cash in their investments.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
I told him so, refusing to comply and letting him know that he shouldn’t be giving away money he needed to borrow.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
“This is a new development, courtesy of the Erudite. We have been injecting every Dauntless throughout the day, and I assume all other factions will comply as soon as possible.”
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Instead, the process would become a “checklist” to see if the project complies with existing environmental laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
UC Berkeley “will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Mr. Sharaa, the victorious rebel commander, now complies with the IAEA.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
It has previously said it complies with relevant regulations in the regions where it operates, has never engaged in any trade with Iran and that its suppliers have provided similar assurances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even in her fear of the windstorm, she complies.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
When one executive noticed and ordered the flowers put back in a particular spot, Perea complied there, then made the same swap a little farther down the hillside, out of view.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
An investigation by the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell concluded the company had complied with regulations, according to people familiar with the findings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
There was a solid two weeks when I complied with its whims.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
The European Commission had also raised questions over whether the legislation complied with EU law, but Lefevre's office said those concerns had been "dispelled" and the measure was not expected to be blocked.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Dill complied, and Lydia binder-clipped a dandelion to Dill’s lapel.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
It is complying with the Endangered Species Act, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The rules take effect as Beijing has beefed up its export control regime—including on items like rare-earth minerals—and enacted a network of laws to prevent individuals and businesses from complying with foreign sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Clarion apologised to Luke and said it was complying with the ombudsman's orders, including paying him £1,150 in compensation and arranging a further inspection of his home.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The focus was on limiting the impact to voters while also complying.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Smith said that complying with such a demand was up to Howard.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
