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. 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 C

Other Words From

• over·com·pliance noun
• precom·pliance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of compliance¹

First recorded in 1635–45; comply + -ance

Example Sentences

In April, UK’s foreign secretary at the time, David Cameron, travelled to Bishkek and urged the Kyrgyz authorities to do more to tighten their sanctions' compliance.

From BBC

"I would expect them to be surgical in nature," says Brandon Daniels, CEO at Exiger, a risk and compliance firm specializing in areas such as supply chains.

From Salon

In a letter to city officials, the California Department of Housing & Community Development warned such additional restrictions could put the city out of compliance with state housing law.

From Los Angeles Times

Samsung India said the firm "categorically denies all the allegations and that it maintains absolute compliance with all the existing labour laws".

From BBC

She is calling for stronger measures to ensure compliance.

From BBC

Related Words

• conformity
• consent

More About Compliance

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.

Where does compliance come from?

The first records of the term compliance come from around the 1630s. It combines the term comply, meaning “to act according to wishes or demands,” and the suffix –ance, which forms nouns from adjectives or verbs.

Compliance can also mean cooperation or obedience, as in The factory was found to be in full compliance with all safety regulations. Many large companies will have compliance officers, whose job is to check and change the organization’s policies to make sure they comply with government and local regulations.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to compliance?

• overcompliance (noun)
• precompliance (noun)

What are some synonyms for compliance?

• conformity
• consent
• agreement

What are some words that share a root or word element with compliance? 

• comply
• compliance officer
• compliancy
• compliant

What are some words that often get used in discussing compliance?

• legal
• pressure
• regulation
• terms

How is compliance used in real life?

Compliance is frequently used in official documents and other formal writing.

Deshaun Watson asks to be traded: Crickets.
J.J. Watt asks to be released, with the team getting nothing in return for him: Immediate compliance.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 12, 2021

Coinbase just announced that they have hired Jeff Horowitz as the new Chief Compliance Officer. He previously worked at Pershing, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Salomon Brothers.

The brain drain from Wall Street continues 👊🏽

— Pomp 🌪 (@APompliano) July 31, 2018

#Breaking The International Atomic Energy Agency has said Iran remains in compliance with the nuclear deal, providing access to all sites

— PA Media (@PA) August 30, 2018

 

Try using compliance!

Is compliance used correctly in the following sentence?

In compliance with the university’s new regulations, we will be replacing our food serving stations with self-serve buffets.