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.

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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

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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

Explanation

Compliance is what you do when you try to fit standards set down by someone else. A restaurant chef's compliance with a new sugar-free menu might inspire even the pastry chefs to follow the recipes. Plywood helps illustrate the "pli" in compliance, because if you've ever stepped on a piece of plywood stretched across something, you've felt how it gives underneath your feet. It has flexibility. Compliance means being flexible or yielding and giving in to a situation or order. "Pliant" is part of the word compliance, and it means yielding. Agreeing or bending to something like a plan, rule, or direction is compliance.

Example Sentences

It’s great that you have two professionals in place: your accountant who focuses on tax compliance, and an investment adviser tasked with portfolio management and investing.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Retail storefronts, offices, daycare centers and churches can qualify under a new alternative fire-code compliance pathway that dramatically reduces retrofit costs, which can run $100,000 or more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Investigations found basic safety norms were flouted - explosives stored in makeshift sheds, weak enforcement, poor compliance and a combination of competitive, community-driven pressure to override regulations, according to a study published in 2018.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

What’s Next: Japan remains a core market, a spokesperson told Barron’s, but Prudential “will not resume new sales until there is confidence that POJ’s compliance, oversight, and governance environment supports doing so responsibly.”

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

So long as orders are phrased as a question, compliance is interpreted as consent.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• conformity
• consent