compliance

American  

[kuhm-plahy-uhns] / kəmˈplaɪ əns /

noun

• compliance
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• overcompliance
  noun
• precompliance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• compliance
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of compliance

First recorded in 1635–45; comply + -ance

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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

See Examples For:

compliance

Schools that keep the preferences are listed publicly as out of compliance and must report more admissions data to the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

After 30 years of teaching students—who include CFOs, financial directors and compliance veterans—I’ve seen the same problem over and over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Moynihan said the company had redeployed some staff to fulfill compliance obligations, meaning it won't mean additional costs in the future for these functions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Deloitte Cyprus said it "acts in compliance with applicable laws".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

I explained how as a lawyer I was often forced to choose between compliance with the law and accommodating my conscience.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

• conformity
• consent

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