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 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

He added that the department is planning to propose regulations that would require agricultural commissioners to check a company’s statewide compliance history when taking enforcement actions, as well as justify the amount of their fines.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Interim UVA President Paul Mahoney must certify compliance on penalty of perjury, but the agreement doesn’t include fines or serious penalties.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees export controls, is in charge of monitoring compliance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But it said: "We're committed to meeting our compliance obligations and are taking the necessary steps to comply with the law."

Read more on BBC

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.