Definition of COMPLIANCE (original) (raw)
1
a
: the act or process of complying to a desire, demand, proposal, or regimen or to coercion
Patient compliance in completing the treatment regimens was excellent.—
Georgia A. Chrousos
b
: conformity in fulfilling official requirements
His actions were in compliance with state law.
2
: a disposition to yield to others
3
: the ability of an object to yield elastically when a force is applied : flexibility
Synonyms
Examples of compliance in a Sentence
She was rewarded for her compliance. There has been a low rate of compliance with the new law.
Recent Examples on the Web A week after the educational column came out, Lauren DuBois, Houston’s chief athletics compliance officer, hopped on a call with Derrick Coles, the NCAA’s associate director of NIL development. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2024 From a financial perspective, companies that operate ethically and prioritize compliance can reduce the risk of certain legal issues. —Ken Sterling, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 The school has a strong variety of courses, which are taught by industry experts on topics such as spirit maturation, botanical spirit development, distillery operations, regulatory, compliance management, and compliance management. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 22 Sep. 2024 The city council’s decision to extend the vineyards’ temporary compliance plan came just before it was set to expire at the end of this month. —Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for compliance 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'compliance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of compliance was circa 1630
Dictionary Entries Near compliance
Cite this Entry
“Compliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compliance. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on compliance
Last Updated: 26 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!