Compline is the final service of the day in the canonical hours practised among Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Christians. The term "compline" is derived from the Latin completorium, or complement, as compline can be considered to be the completion of the day.
In the Catholic liturgy compline is divided as follows: the introduction, an examination of conscience, the hymn, the psalmody, with accompanying antiphons, the reading from Scripture, the response, the Nunc Dimittis (Canticle or Song of Simeon), the prayer, and a conclusion followed by a hymn to the Virgin Mary.
In the Anglican tradition, the order for compline was merged into Evensong until a separate office was created for it in the early 20th century.
