compliance

noun

kəm-ˈplī-ən(t)s How to pronounce compliance (audio)
Definition of compliancenext
1
as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others a strong-willed pop star who is not known for her compliance

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2
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another an administrator who demands prompt and unquestioning compliance from subordinates

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3
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law compliance with the statute was far from universal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of compliance These complaints have not proven gas station non-compliance, so The Observer is not naming the gas stations users claim overcharged. — Eva Flowe october 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 The judge also directed both parties, including Acosta Torres personally, to appear at a compliance hearing to demonstrate that the requirements had been satisfied. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 States also are left responsible for overseeing SGO compliance. — Denise Forte, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026 Fachin found that the company had not demonstrated full compliance with environmental requirements and protections for Indigenous communities, including studies assessing the project’s impacts and their right to be consulted. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for compliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compliance
  1. obedience
  2. submission
  3. adherence
  4. compliancy
  5. conformity
  6. conformance
  7. acquiescence
  8. observation
Noun
  • As its civil lawsuits foundered, the Justice Department reached for another weapon to compel obedience from state election officers.
    — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • My abuser understood the power of words, and used them to dictate the terms of my obedience.
    — Debbie Millman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of obedience
Noun
  • Its inventory depends on what sellers send in—making the timing of those submissions particularly relevant ahead of the holidays.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Ishizaka has programmed Asian cinema at the festival since 2007, when most submissions were still shot on film.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of submission
Noun
  • In many instances Rama approaches difficult situations with restraint and adherence to dharma (righteous conduct), whereas Lakshmana is expressive, impulsive, quick to anger, and distrustful.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The ongoing rat race between AI companies jockeying for trillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) valuations continues to come at the cost of scientific clarity and adherence to academic norms.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of adherence
Noun
  • Paired with the news of Mahomes’ restructure, the Chiefs have opened up a simple path to compliancy.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 18 Feb. 2026
  • While the legislation aims to address gaps in compliancy with federal transparency rules, the Wisconsin Hospital Association argues it's not needed as the state ranks high in transparency adherence.
    — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 11 June 2025
Definition of compliancy
Noun
  • Furthermore, rigid or semi-rigid components create significant conformity challenges.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
  • As a bargain fashionista before the term existed, Andie is a forward-thinking, stylish young woman with her own identity in a world defined by conformity.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of conformity
Noun
  • This is to ensure conformance to an overarching body of human values, standards, cultural norms, expectations and usability considerations.
    — Keith Tidman, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Explain how the agent takes in tasks and context and how the output is measured against definable tolerances (targets, conformances and limits).
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of conformance
Noun
  • The greatest near-term threat to world order, then, is what might be called the Taiwanese chip crisis, in which Beijing mobilizes to take control of the island and the United States must choose between armed resistance and acquiescence.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • There are similar issues in competitive races in Kansas, Iowa and Ohio, where Republican acquiescence could hurt the party on Election Day as their constituents face factory layoffs, farm foreclosures and higher prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • The speech included observations that were hawkish on inflation, mindful of the real economy, and posed questions about the promise of artificial intelligence.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Over the decades, Ernaux has examined class shame through close observation of her parents’ lives, accounted for all-consuming romantic obsession, and transcribed fleeting encounters in supermarkets and trains in the Paris suburbs.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of observation

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complexness
compliance
compliances
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Cite this Entry

“Compliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compliance. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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