comply
Part of speech: verb
Morphological type: simple
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, complete; to do”) (modern French accomplir (“to accomplish, achieve”)). Compare complete, compliment.
Inflected forms:
form: complies
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: complying
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: complied
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: complied
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree, consent; to adapt oneself, to conform.
pos: verb
examples: comply with rules
comply fully
failure to comply
All workers must comply with safety regulations.
He refused to comply with their demands.
Maſters commands come with a power reſiſtleſs / To ſuch as owe them abſolute ſubjection; / And for a life who will not change his purpoſe? / (So mutable are all the ways of men) / Yet this be ſure, in nothing to comply / Scandalous or forbidden in our Law.
He that complies againſt his Will / Is of his own opinion ſtill, / Which he may adhere to, yet diſown, / For Reaſons to himſelf beſt known, […]
That the generality of the Philoſophers and wiſe men of all Nations and Ages, did diſſent from the multitude in theſe things. They believed but one Supreme Deity, which with reſpect to the various benefits men received from him, had ſeveral titles beſtowed upon him. And although they did ſervilely comply with the people in worſhipping God by ſenſible images and repreſentations, yet it appears by their writings that they deſpiſed this way of worſhip as ſuperſtitous and unſuitable to the nature of God.
He gave me all the Aſſurances that the Invention and Faith of Man could deviſe, that he would comply with theſe moſt reaſonable Demands, and beſides would owe his Life to me, and acknowledge it upon all Occaſions as long as he liv'd.
On the day when the servants all left I was again sent for to see Sir Percival. The undeserved slur which he had cast on my management of the household did not, I am happy to say, prevent me from returning good for evil to the best of my ability, by complying with his request as readily and respectfully as ever.
But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied.
gloss: To accomplish, to fulfil.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
examples: Gentle Abrahen, I / am griev'd my power cannot comply my promiſe: / my Father's ſo averſe from granting my / requeſt concerning thee, that with angrie frowns / he did expreſs rather a paſſionate rage, / then a refuſall civil, or accuſtom'd / to his indulgent diſpoſition.
gloss: To be ceremoniously courteous; to make one's compliments.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
examples: [Y]our hands come then, th’appurtenance of welcome is faſhion and ceremonie; let mee comply with you in this garb, let me^([sic – meaning lest my]) extent to the players, which I tell you muſt ſhowe fairely outwards, ſhould more appeare like entertainment than yours: […]
gloss: To enfold; to embrace.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
examples: And then a rug of carded wooll, / Which, spunge-like, drinking in the dull / Light of the moon, seem'd to comply, / Cloud-like, the daintie deitie.
Related words: accomplish
complete
compliment
Derived words: compliable
compliance
compliancy
compliant
complier
complyingly
no comply
recomply
wilco
Translations: