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compliance

kum-PLY-unss /kəmˈplaɪ.əns/

nounB2TOEFLIELTSGMAT

FormalCorporateLegal

The act of obeying or conforming to rules, laws, regulations, or official demands.

Implies active structural adherence to established legal standards rather than passive agreement.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'complere', meaning 'to fill up' or 'fulfill'. In English law, it evolved from completely fulfilling a formal obligation to obeying regulatory rules.

Word relationships

adherence: Adherence emphasizes sticking steadily to a plan, while compliance emphasizes obeying legal mandates.

noncompliance: Refusal or failure to conform to legal rules and statutory obligations.

Commonly confused with

conformance: Conformance often refers to meeting physical specifications, while compliance refers to meeting legal and regulatory mandates.

Word family

comply (verb): To act in accordance with rules or commands.
compliant (adjective): Conforming to requirements.

Collocations

regulatory compliance
ensure compliance
compliance officer

Idioms & expressions

in compliance with

Example sentences

"The bank established an internal board committee to ensure strict compliance with federal anti-money laundering laws." Corporate oversight
"Failure to demonstrate full regulatory compliance resulted in substantial financial penalties." Regulatory audit

Memory hook

When you COMPLY with rules, you maintain full COMPLIANCE. Fulfilling every law completely.

When not to use

Avoid using for casual social agreement between friends.

Fun facts

Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) became one of the fastest-growing corporate executive positions following major corporate accounting scandals.