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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 In seeking a delay, Arizona’s attorneys said Silver adopted a drastic takeover remedy without first trying intermediate fixes to speed compliance. — Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The closed-loop system is designed to help with regulatory compliance without requiring companies to build their own recycling infrastructure. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 There’s a real challenge that AI agents will start to go against compliance and erode customer trust—especially in regulated industries like those that ServiceNow sits in. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Companies could reasonably rely on suppliers, carriers, freight brokers, customs brokers, logistics service providers and other partners to manage portions of supply chain operations and compliance. — Ed Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 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
  • Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The goal is to reform them rather than get rid of them entirely, which strengthens the party by encouraging obedience and dedication to the party’s cause.
    — ANDREW MERTHA, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of obedience
Noun
  • Recently several of my fellow judges on a literary panel declined to read submissions that were more than two hundred pages long.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Austria has selected the black-and-white drama as its international feature submission.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of submission
Noun
  • As part of the settlement, Paramount agreed to the formation of an editorial oversight board that will monitor adherence to editorial independence from its owners and shareholders.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But any long-term solution will depend on the physical condition of its campus, its adherence to its original mission as a living memorial and the reliable, responsible and accountable governance of its leaders.
    — E. Andrew Taylor, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 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
  • The Orwellian parallels and Cold War overtones are strong on this particular planet, where a hive-mind entity enforces conformity through mass surveillance and zero-tolerance punishments.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That sense of propriety was partly imposed upon him by his father, who, in covering up John’s misdeed, placed an albatross around his son’s neck, demanding his conformity to a narrow sort of principle.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 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
  • Their acquiescence to this encroachment on their powers has made these politicians increasingly dependent on a dysfunctional national government.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But many assumptions that Stratos’ investors or Utah politicians might have had about Box Elder County – about either the acquiescence of its people or the barrenness of its landscape – have been proved wrong over the past few months.
    — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • But Cathy isn’t a villain, even if her voiceover begins with an observation about monsters being born to human parents.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Taken on July 24, during a particularly large influx of solar particles into the atmosphere, the observations reveal the full extent of the northern lights in UV light.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of observation

Browse Nearby Words

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 5 Oct. 2026.

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