Compline ( ; also
Complin,
Night Prayer,
Prayers at the End of the Day) is the final church service (or
office) of the day in the
Christian tradition of
canonical hours. The English word
Compline is derived from the
Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day. The word was first used in this sense about the beginning of the 6th century by
St. Benedict in his
Rule (
Regula Benedicti; hereafter, RB), in Chapters
16] 17] 18] and
42] and he even uses the verb
complere to signify Compline: "
Omnes ergo in unum positi compleant" ("All having assembled in one place, let them say Compline"); "
et exuentes a completorio" ("and, after going out from Compline...") (RB, Chap. 42).