different between comply vs allow

English

Etymology

From Italian complire, Catalan complir (“to complete, fulfil; to carry out”), Spanish cumplir (“to complete, fulfil”), from Latin compl?re, from comple? (“to finish, complete; to fulfil”), from com- (prefix indicating completeness of an act) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *?óm (“beside, near; by, with”)) + ple? (“to fill; to fulfil”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh?- (“to fill”)). More likely from Old French compli, past participle of complir "to accomplish, fulfill, carry out," from Vulgar Latin *complire, from Latin complere "to fill up," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill")https://www.etymonline.com/word/comply. 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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /k?m?pla?/
• Rhymes: -a?
• Hyphenation: com?ply

Verb

comply (third-person singular simple present complies, present participle complying, simple past and past participle complied)

1. To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree, consent; to adapt oneself, to conform.

   Synonyms: give way; see also Thesaurus:accede

   Antonym: violate

   • 1663, John Tillotson, The Wisdom of being Religious

     That the generality of the Philo?ophers and wi?e men of all Nations and Ages, did di??ent from the multitude in the?e things. They believed but one Supreme Deity, which with re?pect to the various benefits men received from him, had ?everal titles be?towed upon him. And although they did ?ervilely comply with the people in wor?hipping God by ?en?ible images and repre?entations, yet it appears by their writings that they de?pi?ed this way of wor?hip as ?uper?titous and un?uitable to the nature of God.
2. (archaic) To accomplish, to fulfil. [from late 16th c.]

   Synonyms: carry out, consummate
3. (archaic) To be ceremoniously courteous; to make one's compliments.
4. (archaic) To enfold; to embrace.

Usage notes

The word is usually followed by with.

Derived terms

Related terms

• accomplish
• complete
• compliment

Translations

References

Anagrams

• clompy

English

Etymology

From Middle English allowen, alowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman allouer, alouer, from Medieval Latin allaud?re, present active infinitive of allaud?, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin alloc? (“to assign”). The similarity with Middle English alyfen (from Old English ?l?fan, ?l?efan) and German erlauben, both from Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijan? (“to allow”) is coincidental.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??la?/
• enPR: ?-lou'
• Rhymes: -a?

Verb

allow (third-person singular simple present allows, present participle allowing, simple past and past participle allowed)

1. (transitive) To grant, give, admit, accord, afford, or yield; to let one have.
2. (transitive) To acknowledge; to accept as true; to concede; to accede to an opinion.
3. (transitive) To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct.

4. (transitive) To grant license to; to permit; to consent to.
5. To not bar or obstruct.
6. (transitive) To take into account by making an allowance.

7. (transitive) To render physically possible.
8. (transitive, obsolete) To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
9. (obsolete) To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
10. (transitive, obsolete) To like; to be suited or pleased with.

Synonyms

• allot, assign, bestow, concede, admit, let, permit, suffer, tolerate

Derived terms

Related terms

• allowance
• disallow

Translations

References

• allow in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.