ottemperare

to comply with, to fulfil (an obligation)

verb oht-tem-peh-RAH-reh Rare

Origin: From Latin 'obtemperare' (to obey, to comply), from 'ob-' + 'temperare' (to moderate, regulate).

Usage Note

Ottemperare is a formal, legal, and bureaucratic term meaning to comply with or fulfil a requirement — always followed by a: ottemperare a una sentenza (to comply with a court ruling), ottemperare agli obblighi di legge (to fulfil legal obligations). It is not used in everyday conversation; rispettare or adempiere cover informal registers. Uses avere as auxiliary.

Examples

"L'azienda deve ottemperare alle norme ambientali."

Natural Translation

The company must comply with environmental regulations.

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