comply

verb com·ply \ kəm-ˈplī \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of comply

complied; complying

intransitive verb

1 obsolete : to be ceremoniously courteous

2 : 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

See comply defined for English-language learners

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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 of comply from the Web

The vehicle would have to meet certain safety standards and be capable of complying with Ohio traffic law.

— laura hancock, cleveland.com, "Gov. John Kasich signs executive order allowing autonomous vehicle testing on Ohio roads," 9 May 2018
Trump has repeatedly criticized the agreement, which was made under former President Barack Obama, as a bad deal and has threatened to pull out the US even though Iran has been certified by a UN organization as complying with the terms of the pact.

— grace sparks, CNN, "Majority say US should not withdraw from Iran nuclear agreement," 8 May 2018
The cost of complying with the regulations depends crucially on the price of oil.

— david roberts, Vox, "Scott Pruitt wants to freeze fuel economy standards. Here’s what that would do.," 5 May 2018
The deadline for complying with the subpoena was Thursday afternoon, and the Justice Department flouted it.

— kimberley a. strassel, WSJ, "Why the Justice Department Is Defiant," 4 May 2018
Not the preparations for complying with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Even Amid Scandal, Facebook Is Unstoppable," 1 May 2018
According to Estes, the delay is unlikely to be rooted in SEC concerns, but could instead be tied to the time and expense of complying with state level regulations.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "Is the SEC Gunning for Ethereum and Ripple? Fat Chance," 1 May 2018
The vaping industry had lobbied hard against the rule, arguing that the cost of complying with such regulations would have deterred manufacturers from introducing new products that help adults to quit smoking.

— kate zernike, New York Times, "F.D.A. Cracks Down on ‘Juuling’ Among Teenagers," 24 Apr. 2018
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Facebook is taking its first formal steps this week toward complying with the European Union’s new data privacy regulations, known as the GDPR, which are set to go into effect on May 25.

— kurt wagner, Recode, "Facebook is taking its first steps to comply with Europe’s strict data privacy rules," 18 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comply.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of comply

Italian complire, from Spanish cumplir to complete, perform what is due, be courteous, modification of Latin complēre to complete

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1602

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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COMPLY Defined for English Language Learners

comply

verb

Definition of comply for English Language Learners

: to do what you have been asked or ordered to do

COMPLY Defined for Kids

comply

verb com·ply \ kəm-ˈplī \

Definition of comply for Students

complied; complying

: to act in agreement with another's wishes or in obedience to a rule

Everyone complied with the request.

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See words that rhyme with comply Spanish Central: Translation of comply Nglish: Translation of comply for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of comply for Arabic speakers

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