comply

verb

com·​ply kəm-ˈplī How to pronounce comply (audio)
complied; complying

intransitive verb

1
: to conform, submit, or adapt (as to a regulation or to another's wishes) as required or requested
comply with federal law
the devices comply with industry standards
2
obsolete : to be ceremoniously courteous

Examples of comply in a Sentence

I asked the waitress to refill my coffee cup and she happily complied. There will be penalties against individuals who fail to comply.
Recent Examples on the Web If ByteDance did not comply, the bill would require it to let users retrieve all their data, including all information about their preferences, views and uploads, in a format that could be transferred to another social media app. Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 There are, however, tiered exceptions for tech companies to comply with its terms and some of its provisions are not fully applicable for up to two-years after its enactment. Richard Smirke, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 TikTok has repeatedly claimed the Chinese government has never made such demands (and that TikTok would not comply with them if they were made). Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 The House is expected to vote Wednesday morning on legislation that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok within 165 days of enactment — and would prohibit the app from being used in the United States if the company didn’t comply. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Companies that don’t comply with the new rules can be fined up to 20 percent of their global turnover. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024 Still, experts say the program still requires companies to comply with state and federal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 In 2022, Dunbar sued 20th and Disney, which owns the TV production arm of 20th Century Studios and has been dismissed from the case, after he was fired for refusing to comply with vaccine mandates. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 But 41% of Florida hospitals are not complying with the rule, according to a report published last month by the nonprofit focused on healthcare price transparency, PatientRightsAdvocate.org. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comply.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "to accommodate oneself (to), go along (with), meet the expectations (of), satisfy (obligations of courtesy)," borrowed from Spanish cumplir in this sense, from the earlier transitive senses "carry out, execute, fulfill," going back, with conjugation change, to Latin complēre "to fill" — more at complete entry 1

Note: The verb comply appears more likely to have been borrowed directly from Spanish rather than via Italian (pace the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition). Its use in literate discourse may have grown out of the vogue for Spanish romances that began with The mirrour of princely deedes and knighthood, a translation by Margaret Tyler of Diego Ortúñez de Calahorra's Espejo de príncipes y caballeros that was first printed in 1578. An early example of comply in the relevant sense occurs in another translation of Espejo, by "R.P." (Robert Parry or Parke), printed about 1586: "that the counsaile which you doe aske of your nobles & subiects, is more to complie with them, than anie good will you haue to be counsailed" (The third part of the first booke, of the Mirrour of knighthood). The form of the verb shows assimilation to other verbs ending in -ply, as apply, imply, reply entry 1, and supply entry 1 (which, excepting the last, are not etymologically related).

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of comply was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near comply

Cite this Entry

“Comply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comply. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comply

verb
com·​ply kəm-ˈplī How to pronounce comply (audio)
complied; complying
: to act in agreement with another's wishes or in obedience to a rule
comply with a request
complier
-ˈplī(-ə)r
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on comply

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