Standard Lemma guide

compline

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmplɪn/
  • General-American: /ˈkɑmplɪn/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The last of the canonical hours, sung just before retiring to bed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

last of the seven canonical hours just before retiring

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: canonical hour

History

Etymology

From Middle English compelin, cumplie, from Old French complie, from Latin complēta (hōra) (literally “finished hour”).

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: եկեսցե (ekescʻe) — last of the canonical hours
  • Bulgarian: вечерня (večernja) — last of the canonical hours
  • Catalan: completes — last of the canonical hours
  • Dutch: completen — last of the canonical hours
  • Finnish: kompletorio — last of the canonical hours
  • French: complies — last of the canonical hours
  • German: Komplet — last of the canonical hours
  • Greek: απόδειπνο (apódeipno) — last of the canonical hours
  • Hungarian: kompletórium — last of the canonical hours
  • Hungarian: kompléta — last of the canonical hours
  • Irish: coimpléid — last of the canonical hours
  • Italian: compieta — last of the canonical hours
  • Latin: complētōrium — last of the canonical hours
  • Macedonian: повечерие (povečerie) — last of the canonical hours
  • Old English: nihtsang — last of the canonical hours
  • Polish: Kompleta — last of the canonical hours
  • Russian: повече́рие (povečérije) — last of the canonical hours
  • Serbo-Croatian: večernja — last of the canonical hours
  • Serbo-Croatian: večernjica — last of the canonical hours
  • Serbo-Croatian: kompletorij — last of the canonical hours
  • Slovak: kompletórium — last of the canonical hours
  • Spanish: completas — last of the canonical hours
  • Welsh: cwmplin — last of the canonical hours