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

• 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

This helps teams stay compliant without slowing down innovation. —Navdeep Malik, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

There is no magical third way where immigration enforcement agents can arrest thousands of people per day in ways that are fully compliant with our standards of due process and also only target the kinds of criminals that the public generally supports removing. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025

The first is that for banks like State Street, which operate under a lot of regulations, costs could add up to make sure that third-party vendors are also compliant. —John Kell, Fortune, 18 June 2025

To be compliant with Title IX, a university has to provide opportunities, financial aid and/or scholarships proportionate, by gender, to the campus population as a whole. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 June 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