compliance

American  

[kuhm-plahy-uhns] / kəmˈplaɪ əns /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• overcompliance noun
• precompliance noun

Etymology

Origin of compliance

First recorded in 1635–45; comply + -ance

Example Sentences

Instead, they will boast sustainable economics, regulatory compliance and balance sheets strong enough to survive the stress tests ahead.

From MarketWatch

Ofwat said if it was satisfied a licence condition had been breached, it would take enforcement action to secure compliance, which could include fining SEW up to 10% of its turnover.

From BBC

“Emergent remains committed to the highest standards of quality, ethics and compliance, and has taken significant action to improve transparency and integrity in all aspects of its operations,” the company said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this week, Meta announced it had blocked about 500,000 accounts on its sites including Facebook and Instagram during its first week of compliance with the new law in Australia.

From BBC

And in a rare alignment with mainstream scientific consensus, the administration vowed to remove synthetic dyes from food -- primarily through voluntary compliance from industry.

From Barron's

Related Words

• conformity
• consent