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Comply vs Approve - What's the difference?

comply | approve |

As verbs the difference between comply and approve

is that comply is to yield assent; to accord; agree, or acquiesce; to adapt one's self; to consent or conform while approve is to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm or approve can be (english law) to make profit of; to convert to one's own profit;—said especially of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.

comply

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To yield assent; to accord; agree, or acquiesce; to adapt one's self; to consent or conform.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply , / Scandalous or forbidden in our law.
  • * (John Tillotson) (1630-1694)
    • They did servilely comply with the people in worshiping God by sensible images.
  • * 1664? , , (Hudibras)
    • He that complies against his will / Is of his own opinion still.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
    • , chapter=6, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied .}}
  • *
  • (label) To be ceremoniously courteous; to make one's compliments.
  • * 1599 , , II. ii. 371:
    • Let me comply with you in this / garb, lest my extent to the players, which I tell you must / show fairly outwards, should more appear like entertainment / than yours.
  • (label) To fulfill; to accomplish.
    • (Chapman)
  • (label) To enfold; to embrace.
  • * (1591-1674)
    • Seemed to comply , / Cloudlike, the daintie deitie.

    Usage notes

    * Usually followed by "with".

    Related terms

    * compliant * compliance * compliable * no comply

    Antonyms

    * violate

    Anagrams

    *

    approve

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . Compare prove, approbate.

    Verb

    (approv)
  • To sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Can China clean up fast enough? , passage=It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.}}
  • To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of.
  • To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically.
  • * (Ralph Waldo Emerson),
    • Opportunities to approve worth.
  • * (Thomas Babington Macaulay),
    • He had approved himself a great warrior.
  • * (George Gordon Byron),
    • 'T is an old lesson; Time approves it true.
  • * (Francis Parkman),
    • His accountapproves him a man of thought.
  • To consider or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.
  • * (Henry Rogers),
    • The first care and concern must be to approve himself to God.
  • * (Thomas Babington Macaulay),
    • They had not approved of the deposition of James.
  • * (William Black),
    • They approved of the political institutions.
    Note: This word, when it signifies to be pleased with, to think favorably (of''), is often followed by ''of .
    Derived terms
    () * approval * approvable * I approve this message * approvably * approbation

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) aprouer; . Compare with improve.

    Verb

    (approv)
  • (English Law) To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit;—said especially of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.

    • References

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