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

The firm also cautions nonprofits to tighten their compliance practices by seeking legal advice on potential risks, vetting partners and funders, and adding oversight where needed.

Read more on Salon

The focus is on monitoring and the imposition of measures that return a club to compliance for any breach.

Read more on BBC

“Ventura County was one of the counties where unannounced audits occurred, and those findings reinforced the need for stronger compliance,” Nasarenko said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“A compliance failure of this scale is alarming,” Wyden’s report read.

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"The transition has been completed ahead of schedule to ensure full compliance with product-import restrictions coming into force on 21 January 2026."

Read more on Barron's

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.