COMPLY (complied)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: complied   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does comply mean? 

• COMPLY (verb)
  The verb COMPLY has 1 sense:

1. act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes

  Familiarity information: COMPLY used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMPLY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they comply    ... he / she / it complies   
Past simple: complied   
Past participle: complied   
-ing form: complying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

abide by; comply; follow

Context example:

abide by the rules

Hypernyms (to "comply" is one way to...):

obey (be obedient to)

Verb group:

follow; stick to; stick with (keep to)

adopt; espouse; follow (choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "comply"):

accommodate; oblige (provide a service or favor for someone)

toe the line (do what is expected)

conform to (observe)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

compliance (acting according to certain accepted standards)

compliancy (a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others)

compliant (inclined to comply)

 Context examples 

The father complied, and the lad took his seat again, whereupon I went to him, and kissed his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

On reaching Scotland Yard, however, it was more than an hour before we could get Inspector Gregson and comply with the legal formalities which would enable us to enter the house.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I complied, in a very uncomfortable state, and with a warm shooting all over me, as if my apprehensions were breaking out into buds.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But when he complied, I scarcely knew how to begin; such horror had I of the possible answers.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Amy rose to comply with outward composure, but a secret fear oppressed her, for the limes weighed upon her conscience.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Regarding Pluto and Saturn, you may feel pressured to comply with rules or changes to a creative project at the last minute.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

After a long pause of reflection I concluded that the justice due both to him and my fellow creatures demanded of me that I should comply with his request.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

In some way the legal forms have undoubtedly been complied with, and they think that they have little to fear.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The devices sense when a vehicle is undergoing testing and reduce emissions to comply with government standards.

(Diesel Pollutes More Than Lab Tests Detect, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

François complied, whereupon Buck trotted in, laughing triumphantly, and swung around into position at the head of the team.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)