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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 The order mandates clean drinking water around the clock, nutritious meals and daily sanitation, plus overhauled medical care, disability accommodations and independent monitors overseeing compliance. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2026 Athletic directors are expected to manage schedules, facilities, eligibility, transportation, officials, budgets, compliance, conflicts and personnel. — Timothy Baghurst, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026 This includes quality lifecycle, product regulations compliance, supplier ESG audits and multi-tier traceability workflows. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026 The company focuses on helping individuals and small business owners who owe $10,000 or more in tax debt through IRS programs and compliance services. — Adam Palasciano, USA Today, 17 July 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 protesters named their encampment the Cascadia Free State, a sovereign enclave whose citizens pledged obedience to the transcendent laws of the cosmos.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • The story follows two genetically identical women who switch identities and consequently expose a hierarchical world based on genetic selection, exploitation and obedience.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of obedience
Noun
  • More than 36,000 people have applied since online submissions opened May 1 via Mnet Plus, with almost a third of applicants coming from the Americas.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Keep an eye on Dead Meat’s Instagram, where submission details and entry links will be shared in the coming days.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Definition of submission
Noun
  • To demonstrate ongoing compliance, Newcastle must submit six-monthly progress reports to UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), outlining their transfer balance and adherence to the settlement.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • But technology now changes continuously, and examiners increasingly expect demonstrable, ongoing control rather than point-in-time adherence.
    — Chris Brown, Forbes.com, 17 July 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
  • Raving is a youth movement that has always rejected conformity.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • Other essential qualities include a substantial heft, range, and engagement with the United States’s history, especially the recurrent issues of racial injustice, religious enthusiasm, social conformity, and rampant capitalism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of conformity
Noun
  • Data freshness, completeness, consistency and schema conformance are tracked with dedicated alerting thresholds.
    — Lev Yatsemyrskyi, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • That said, the final plat is in substantial conformance with the previous proposals, Latinovic said.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
Definition of conformance
Noun
  • Less money coming into government coffers also means fewer goodies for the population of Moscow, whose acquiescence Putin desperately needs.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026
  • But the balance of risks has changed Europe’s era of acquiescence is over.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 22 June 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • According to Artem, the Russian position consisted of soldiers armed with small arms and radios and supported by a network of observation posts monitoring the surrounding approaches.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Accompanied by firsthand reflections from the photographers, these images offer a glimpse of how local communities gathered to share in the Cup, as well as the observations that stayed with the photographers who documented it.
    — Meredith Nierman, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of observation

Browse Nearby Words

complexness
compliance
compliances
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compliance. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on compliance

Nglish: Translation of compliance for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All