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

Example Sentences

“These violations are not about withholding wages or failing to pay partners, but as part of the agreement, some current and former partners will receive payouts. This compensation is about compliance, not unpaid wages.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Since then, the TSA said, compliance has been high.

From The Wall Street Journal

The recruitment agency said it was committed to operating in full compliance with employment laws.

From BBC

The Swiss attorney general’s office said it charged an unnamed female compliance officer in relation to $7.9 million in payments that she allowed to enter the bank.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under the agreement with Northwestern, the federal government will close its investigations related to the university’s compliance with antidiscrimination laws and restore the frozen funding.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conformity
• consent