First Known Use: 1602
Dictionary
comply
verb com·ply \kəm-ˈplī\
: to do what you have been asked or ordered to do
com·pliedcom·ply·ing
Full Definition of COMPLY
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
See comply defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of COMPLY
Italian complire, from Spanish cumplir to complete, perform what is due, be courteous, modification of Latin complēre to complete
Rhymes with COMPLY
aby, agley, air-dry, Alai, ally, Altai, anti, apply, assai, awry, aye-aye, Bacchae, Baha'i, banzai, barfly, bee fly, Belgae, belie, bigeye, big lie, black eye, blackfly, black tie, blow-dry, blowby, blowfly, blue-sky, Bo Hai, bone-dry, bonsai, botfly, Brunei, buckeye, bugeye, bye-bye, canaille, catchfly, cat's-eye, Chennai, chess pie, Chiang Mai, cockeye, cockshy, come by, cow pie, crane fly, cross-eye, deadeye, decry, deep-fry, deep-sky, deerfly, defy, Delphi, deny, descry, do by, dong quai, drip-dry, drop by, dry eye, dry fly, elhi, Eli, espy, face fly, firefly, fish-eye, flesh fly, flyby, fly high, forby, freeze-dry, frogeye, fruit fly, gadfly, gallfly, get by, GI, glass eye, go by, good-bye, greenfly, grisaille, gun-shy, Haggai, Hawkeye, heel fly, hereby, hi-fi, hog-tie, horn fly, horsefly, housefly, imply, jai alai, July, Karzai, Kasai, knee-high, lanai, Lanai, lay-by, lay by, Lehigh, let fly, Levi, lie by, magpie, mai tai, mao-tai, Masai, mayfly, medfly, mind's eye, Moirai, mooneye, Mumbai, my eye, nearby, necktie, nilgai, nisi, outbye, outcry, oxeye, pad thai, Panay, panfry, Parcae, piece-dye, pigsty, pinkeye, Po Hai, pop eye, pop fly, potpie, put by, Qinghai, quasi, rabbi, red-eye, rely, reply, rib eye, ride high, rocaille, rough-dry, run dry, Sakai, sand fly, sci-fi, screw eye, semi, Sendai, serai, set by, shanghai, Shanghai, sheep's eye, shoofly, shut-eye, Sinai, sky-high, small-fry, stand by, standby, stir-fry, string tie, supply, swear by, terai, test-fly, thereby, tie-dye, titi, tongue-tie, Transkei, twist tie, two-ply, untie, vat dye, Versailles, walleye, well-nigh, whereby, whitefly, wild rye, wise guy
COMPLY Defined for Kids
comply
verb com·ply \kəm-ˈplī\
com·pliedcom·ply·ing
Definition of COMPLY for Kids
: to act in agreement with another's wishes or in obedience to a rule <Everyone complied with the request.>
Learn More About COMPLY
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up comply? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).