Home › Skilled Trades & Construction › Construction Site Management › compliance

compliance

kum-PLY-unss /kəmˈplaɪəns/

nounC1GREGMATIELTS

formallegalprofessional

The act of obeying official rules, building codes, safety regulations, or contractual terms.

Refers to mandatory adherence to formal standards set by government inspectors or engineering codes.

The story behind the word. Traced back to Latin 'complere' (to complete). It entered English via Old Italian and French, retaining the meaning of 'filling up' or fulfilling a requirement or promise completely.

Word relationships

adherence: Adherence implies sticking to a principle or rule, whereas compliance highlights formal legal obligation.
conformity: Conformity often carries a social connotation of blending in, rather than legal building compliance.

noncompliance: Failure or refusal to obey official requirements.
violation: An active breach of a law or rule.

Commonly confused with

compliment: A compliment is praise; compliance is obeying rules.

Word family

comply (verb): To act in accordance with rules.
compliant (adjective): Meeting specified standards or rules.

Collocations

regulatory compliance
ensure compliance
in compliance with
compliance officer

Idioms & expressions

bring into compliance
out of compliance

Example sentences

"The site safety manager performed daily walks to ensure full compliance with hardhat regulations." Safety Regulation

Memory hook

If you COM-PLY with the law, you show full COMPLIANCE. Fulfilling every code and rule completely.

When not to use

Avoid using compliance for informal or non-binding personal requests.

Fun facts

Failure to demonstrate building code compliance can result in a 'Stop Work Order,' halting multimillion-dollar sites instantly.