compliance

[kuhm-plahy-uhns]

noun

1. the act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding.

2. a tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way.

3. conformity; accordance.

   in compliance with orders.

4. cooperation or obedience.

   Compliance with the law is expected of all.

5. Physics.

   1. the strain of an elastic body expressed as a function of the force producing the strain.

   2. a coefficient expressing the responsiveness of a mechanical system to a periodic force.

compliance

/ kəmˈplaɪəns /

noun

1. the act of complying; acquiescence

2. a disposition to yield to or comply with others

3. C. a measure of the ability of a mechanical system to respond to an applied vibrating force, expressed as the reciprocal of the system's stiffness

Other Word Forms

• overcompliance noun
• precompliance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of compliance¹

First recorded in 1635–45; comply + -ance

Example Sentences

What’s missing is the willingness to admit that the current system is a tire fire wrapped in compliance theater.

Read more on MarketWatch

Chevron said it operates globally in compliance with laws and regulations that apply to its business, including the U.S. sanctions framework in Venezuela.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Older generations and state employees maintain dutiful compliance -- observing government mandates for black attire and periods of official grief," he told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

The robots are measuring more than 9,000 curb ramps, 950 miles of sidewalk, 400 transit stops and 70 miles of paved trails, documenting compliance issues like crossfall slopes, sidewalk uplift and cracks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

According to the U.S. allegations against him, Binance’s top compliance official once told colleagues that Zhao didn’t want the exchange to vet users’ identities and that its customers were “here for crime.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conformity 
• consent 

When To Use

What is compliance?

Compliance is the act of conforming and yielding, as with orders or laws. It is usually used in reference to written rules and regulations or spoken commands, as from police officers or a superior.Compliance can also refer to someone’s tendency to agree, especially in a submissive way.In physics, compliance refers to a coefficient expressing something’s responsiveness or counterforce when force is applied to it.Related to that, compliance is also the strain of an elastic body expressed as a function of the force producing the strain. In other words, compliance describes how easy it is for something to pool or flow within parts of the body or flexible vessels.Example: To be in full compliance with his school’s uniform policy, Tom had to get his hair cut.