comply

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /kəmˈplaɪ/ UK /kəmˈplaɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #11858

Meanings

1

verb
To do what a rule, order, or request demands.

All drivers must comply with the new speed limits.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with comply

comply with Prepositional verb C1

to act according to a rule, requirement, or request

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to do what a rule, order,... follow agree accede yield conform

Word family

Forms compliedcompliescomplying

Derived forms compliablecompliance compliancy compliantcompliercomplyinglyrecomplywilco

Related forms accomplish complete compliment

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

comply with
to act according to a rule, requirement, or request

Verb + preposition/particle

Simplified etymology

Comply entered English in the late 16th century from the same Latin source as complete, complere, “to fill up, finish, or fulfil.” It originally meant “to fulfil an obligation.”

Etymology

From Italian complire, Catalan complir (“to complete, fulfil; to carry out”), Spanish cumplir (“to complete, fulfil”), (alternatively from Old French compli), from Latin complēre, from compleō (“to finish, complete; to fulfil”), from com- (prefix indicating completeness of an act) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, near; by, with”)) + pleō (“to fill; to fulfil”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)). The word is very close to the French verb complaire which means to satisfy or to please. The word is also cognate with Old French complir (“to accomplish, comp…

*pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European complire Italian complir ca cumplir Spanish compli Old French complēre Latin *ḱóm Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# comply

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /kəmˈplaɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /kəmˈplaɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 11858

## Meanings
1. To do what a rule, order, or request demands.

## Examples
- All drivers must comply with the new speed limits.

## Derived Forms
- compliable
- compliance
- compliancy
- compliant
- complier
- complyingly
- recomply
- wilco

## Related Forms
- accomplish
- complete
- compliment

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pleh₁-
- Root: complire
- Root: complir
- Root: cumplir
- Root: compli
- Root: complēre
- Root: *ḱóm

## Etymology
From Italian complire, Catalan complir (“to complete, fulfil; to carry out”), Spanish cumplir (“to complete, fulfil”), (alternatively from Old French compli), from Latin complēre, from compleō (“to finish, complete; to fulfil”), from com- (prefix indicating completeness of an act) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, near; by, with”)) + pleō (“to fill; to fulfil”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)). The word is very close to the French verb complaire which means to satisfy or to please. The word is also cognate with Old French complir (“to accomplish, comp…

## AI Etymology
Comply is from Italian complire, Catalan complir (“to complete, fulfil; to carry out”), Spanish cumplir (“to complete, fulfil”), (alternatively from Old French compli), from Latin complēre, from compleō (“to finish, complete; to fulfil”), from com- (prefix indicating completeness of an act) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, near; by, with”)) + pleō (“to fill; to fulfil”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)). The word is very close to the French verb complaire which means to satisfy or to please. The word is also cognate with Old French complir (“to accomplish, comp… In present-day use, it means to do what a rule, order, or request demands. Related forms include accomplish, complete, compliment.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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