compliance
- 01 C1 Advanced
the act of obeying a law, rule, or request.
the act of adhering to or conforming with a law, regulation, or set of standards. Uncountable in its general sense.
Simple“The company is in full compliance with the new safety laws.”
In context“The audit confirmed that the firm's financial reporting was in strict compliance with international accounting standards.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'with'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the department in a company that makes sure everyone follows the rules.
the internal department or function within an organisation responsible for ensuring that all legal and regulatory requirements are met.
Simple“If you have questions about the new policy, you should talk to someone in compliance.”
In context“The compliance department issued a memo regarding the ethical implications of accepting gifts from potential vendors.”
Teacher's tipIn a business context, 'Compliance' is often used as a proper noun to refer to the specific office or team.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
how well a patient follows the doctor's advice or takes their medicine.
the degree to which a patient correctly follows medical advice, particularly regarding medication schedules or lifestyle changes.
Simple“The doctor was worried about the patient's compliance with the daily exercise plan.”
In context“Poor patient compliance remains a significant barrier to the effective management of chronic hypertension.”
UsageIn modern medicine, 'adherence' is increasingly preferred over 'compliance' to suggest a more collaborative relationship between doctor and patient.
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
the habit of doing what other people want you to do.
a disposition or tendency to yield to the wishes or demands of others.
Simple“Her quiet compliance made it easy for her boss to give her extra work.”
In context“The negotiator mistook his opponent's outward compliance for a genuine willingness to concede on the core issues of the treaty.”
SynonymssubmissivenessacquiescenceAntonyms
Usage ensure compliance
“As part of other compliance measures, more than 213,000 vehicle and driver remote licensing checks were carried out last year on over 19,400 individual vehicles.”
“While Chinese models are often distributed under standard licenses, such as MIT and Apache 2.0 , some impose additional compliance obligations.”
From comply + -ance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.