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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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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 The court also ordered that Lidl must cease offering all of the infringing sandals in the Netherlands, subject to a penalty of 5,000 euros per day of non-compliance. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026 However, this daily limitation is an illusion of protection because customers report the number of transactions that day, rather than requiring the crypto kiosk industry to implement available technology to ensure compliance. — Mike Ryan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 Every year, by design, the law forces thousands of inefficient old vehicles off the road as the cost of compliance rises and parts become harder to find. — Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 24 Sep. 2026 As noted in reviews by Maryland’s PDAB, attempts to track how these financial benefits are utilized hit a wall because participating entities faced remarkably low compliance and disclosure rates. — Christina Smith, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • The family sent both Pips and Ruth to obedience training with a family friend and professional dog trainer, where Pips began learning sign commands.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of obedience
Noun
  • Sink follows the buzzy submission for the 2026 Oscars All That’s Left Of You by Cherien Dabis which made the December shortlist.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Selected from hundreds of submissions, six projects are vying for for the coveted WIP Latam Industry Award and four titles from across Europe are competing for the WIP Europa Industry Award.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of submission
Noun
  • By shortening the path from detection to action, AI may also reduce losses to follow-up and improve adherence.
    — Oran Muduroglu, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But the study also showed that the group that received cooking lessons as part of nutrition training was significantly more likely to stick with the program than the group that did not, with a 68% adherence rate compared to 50%.
    — Hope Hodge Deck, USA Today, 22 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
  • 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
  • Oil has long funded the Gulf’s expensive social contract, in which governments provide citizens with cushy jobs and high-quality services in return for political acquiescence.
    — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • The objective is to make weapon employment measurable, rather than relying primarily on observations made during or after an exercise.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • From my observations, this is the part many brands are missing.
    — Margareta Petrovic, Forbes.com, 23 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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