compliant

adjective

com·​pli·​ant kəm-ˈplī-ənt 

1

: ready or disposed to comply : submissive

a corrupt regime aided by a compliant press

was compliant and eager to please

2

: conforming to requirements

compliant software

compliantly adverb

Synonyms of compliant

• obedient

Examples of compliant in a Sentence

I asked him for a favor, and he was compliant.

The student's shirt was not compliant with the school's dress code.

The software is compliant with the latest standards.

Recent Examples on the Web

Accessibility The hotel has a ramp and two ADA-compliant guest rooms with standard ADA features and accessible bathrooms. —Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025

Starting on May 7, 2025, all domestic passengers must present a Real ID-compliant drivers license or other other acceptable forms of identification. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025

The products must also come from a legally compliant source and undergo third-party testing for CBD levels and contaminants. —Luke Fountain,brandon Gomez, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025

Niklas Lindgren, the company’s cofounder and CEO, says its software can reduce the time needed to design a code-compliant electrical system for a 500,000-square-foot commercial building from two months to less than a day. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

comply + -ant entry 2

Note: The meaning of compliant has most likely been influenced by the etymologically unrelated word pliant.

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for compliant

• defiant
• reliant
• suppliant
• client
• giant
• pliant
• scient
• noncompliant
• supergiant

Kids Definition

compliant

adjective

com·​pli·​ant kəm-ˈplī-ənt 

: ready or willing to comply : submissive

compliantly adverb