Standard Lemma guide

compliance

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /kəmˈplaɪ.əns/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /kəmˈplɑe.əns/
  • New-Zealand: [kəmˈplɑe̯.əns]
  • rhymes with -aɪəns
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 M P L AY1 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act of complying.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • strict compliance
  • regulatory compliance
  • full compliance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being compliant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The software ensures compliance with data protection laws.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The tendency of conforming with or agreeing to the wishes of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • His quick compliance with the order impressed the officer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure; its flexibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: engineering, mechanical-engineering, mechanics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: business

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: submission

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group action

Narrower terms: obedience, obeisance, prostration

8

noun

Meaning 8

acting according to certain accepted standards

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • their financial statements are in conformity with generally accepted accounting practices

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conformity, conformation, abidance

Antonyms: noncompliance

Broader terms: cooperation

Narrower terms: formality, line, honoring, observance, keeping

9

noun

Meaning 9

a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complaisance, compliancy, obligingness, deference

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: agreeableness, agreeability

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English comply Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English compliance From comply + -ance.

Across languages

Translations

127 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: съгла́сие (sǎglásie) — act of complying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遵守 (zūnshǒu) — act of complying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 服從 /服从 (fúcóng) — act of complying
  • Chinese Mandarin: 依從 /依从 (yīcóng) — act of complying
  • Finnish: (määräysten / ohjeiden) noudattaminen — act of complying
  • French: conformité — act of complying
  • French: acquiescement — act of complying
  • Georgian: დაცვა (dacva) — act of complying
  • Georgian: შესრულება (šesruleba) — act of complying
  • German: Einwilligung — act of complying
  • German: Fügsamkeit — act of complying
  • German: Übereinstimmen — act of complying
  • German: Zustimmen — act of complying
  • German: sich Fügen — act of complying
  • German: Einwilligen — act of complying
  • German: Erfüllen — act of complying
  • German: Folgen — act of complying
  • German: Nachgeben — act of complying
  • Hindi: आज्ञापालन (ājñāpālan) — act of complying
  • Hungarian: teljesítés — act of complying
  • Hungarian: betartás — act of complying
  • Hungarian: alkalmazkodás — act of complying
  • Indonesian: kepatuhan — act of complying
  • Italian: conformità — act of complying
  • Japanese: 順守 (junshu) — act of complying
  • Malay: pematuhan — act of complying
  • Māori: ūnga — act of complying
  • Polish: ugoda — act of complying
  • Portuguese: cumprimento — act of complying
  • Russian: согла́сие (soglásije) — act of complying
  • Russian: соотве́тствие (sootvétstvije) — act of complying
  • Slovene: skladnost — act of complying
  • Spanish: cumplimiento — act of complying
  • Spanish: acatamiento — act of complying
  • Bulgarian: съгла́сие (sǎglásie) — state of being compliant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 合規 /合规 (héguī) — state of being compliant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 順從 /顺从 (shùncóng) — state of being compliant
  • Dutch: naleving — state of being compliant
  • Esperanto: cedo — state of being compliant
  • Finnish: määräystenmukaisuus — state of being compliant
  • Finnish: ohjeidenmukaisuus — state of being compliant
  • Finnish: vaatimustenmukaisuus — state of being compliant
  • Finnish: noudattaminen — state of being compliant
  • French: conformité — state of being compliant
  • Georgian: შესაბამისობა (šesabamisoba) — state of being compliant
  • Georgian: მორჩილება (morčileba) — state of being compliant
  • German: Konformität — state of being compliant
  • German: Regeltreue — state of being compliant
  • German: Compliance — state of being compliant
  • German: Komplianz — state of being compliant
  • German: Folgebereitschaft — state of being compliant
  • German: Nachgiebigkeit — state of being compliant
  • German: Wohlverhalten — state of being compliant
  • German: Willfährigkeit — state of being compliant
  • Hungarian: megfelelőség — state of being compliant
  • Hungarian: megfelelés — state of being compliant
  • Hungarian: konformitás — state of being compliant
  • Italian: arrendevolezza — state of being compliant
  • Polish: zgodność — state of being compliant
  • Portuguese: aderência — state of being compliant
  • Portuguese: conformidade — state of being compliant
  • Russian: согла́сие (soglásije) — state of being compliant
  • Russian: соотве́тствие (sootvétstvije) — state of being compliant
  • Swedish: tillmötesgående — state of being compliant
  • Swedish: följsamhet — state of being compliant
  • Turkish: uyma — state of being compliant
  • Ottoman Turkish: طباق (tıbâk) — state of being compliant
  • Bulgarian: отстъпчи́вост (otstǎpčívost) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 順從 /顺从 (shùncóng) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 從眾 /从众 (cóngzhòng) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Finnish: myötäsukaisuus — tendency of conforming with others
  • French: conformisme — tendency of conforming with others
  • Georgian: დამთმობლობა (damtmobloba) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Georgian: დამყოლიობა (damq̇olioba) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Georgian: კონფორმისტულობა (ḳonpormisṭuloba) — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Konformität — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Folgebereitschaft — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Nachgiebigkeit — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Willfährigkeit — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Wohlverhalten — tendency of conforming with others
  • German: Regeltreue — tendency of conforming with others
  • Hungarian: előzékenység — tendency of conforming with others
  • Hungarian: szolgálatkészség — tendency of conforming with others
  • Hungarian: engedékenység — tendency of conforming with others
  • Polish: ugodowość — tendency of conforming with others
  • Portuguese: conformismo — tendency of conforming with others
  • Portuguese: complacência — tendency of conforming with others
  • Russian: пода́тливость (podátlivostʹ) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Russian: покла́дистость (pokládistostʹ) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Russian: усту́пчивость (ustúpčivostʹ) — tendency of conforming with others
  • Serbo-Croatian: povinovanje — tendency of conforming with others
  • Bulgarian: податли́вост (podatlívost) — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 撓度 /挠度 — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 柔性 (róuxìng) — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變形量 /变形量 — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Finnish: joustavuus — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • German: Nachgiebigkeit — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • German: Flexibilität — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • German: Compliance — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • German: Elastitizität — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Hungarian: kompliancia — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Hungarian: inverz merevség — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Polish: podatność — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Russian: пода́тливость (podátlivostʹ) — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Russian: ги́бкость (gíbkostʹ) — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Russian: эласти́чность (elastíčnostʹ) — measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 依從性 /依从性 (yīcóngxìng) — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • Finnish: (ohjeiden) noudattaminen — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • French: observance — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • German: Compliance — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • Serbo-Croatian: poštivanje režima liječenja — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • Spanish: cumplimiento — medical: accuracy with which a patient follows an agreed treatment plan
  • Bulgarian: пра́вен отде́л (práven otdél) — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Chinese Mandarin: 合規部門 /合规部门 (héguī bùmén) — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Finnish: compliance — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Finnish: sisäinen valvonta — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • German: Compliance — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • German: Regeltreue — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • German: Regelkonformität — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Japanese: 法令順守 (hōrei junshu) — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Japanese: 順法 (jumpō) — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Polish: zgodność — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Portuguese: compliance — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Russian: компла́енс (komplájens) — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Spanish: contraloría — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Swedish: compliance — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
  • Swedish: regelefterlevnadsavdelning — business: the department of a business that ensures all government regulations are complied with
Real reading context

compliance in complete knowledge articles