Meaning & use
compliant person
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Someone who willingly does what rules, orders, or other people ask, without arguing or resisting.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; the adjective 'compliant' comes before the noun and can also stand alone after a linking verb: 'She is compliant.'
Patterns
- a compliant person with something
- be a compliant person
- a compliant person who does something
The inspectors found that the factory was run by a compliant person who kept every record in order.
He is a quiet, compliant person who never questions what his manager tells him to do.
For a compliant person, following the new safety rules was easy; for the rest of us, it took time.
phrasefixed phrasetechnical
Someone whose body or equipment meets a required standard or rule, especially in medicine or law.
Grammar: Common in technical or official writing; the phrase usually follows 'a' and is often followed by 'with' plus the rule or standard.
Patterns
- a compliant person with a regulation
- a compliant person under the law
Under the new data rules, only a compliant person may handle customer records.
The clinic checks that each patient is a compliant person before starting the treatment.
Common combinations
- a fully compliant person
- After the training, she became a fully compliant person who followed every procedure.
- a compliant person with the rules
- A compliant person with the rules will always report the problem straight away.
- remain a compliant person
- Even under pressure, he remained a compliant person and waited for instructions.
- a compliant person by nature
- Being a compliant person by nature, she rarely challenges her boss.
- a compliant person in the workplace
- A compliant person in the workplace is valued for reliability rather than creativity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- obedient
- 'Obedient' focuses on doing what a person in authority says and is often used of children or animals; 'compliant person' is broader and can refer to following rules or standards.
- cooperative
- 'Cooperative' suggests willingly helping others, which is positive; 'compliant person' can sound neutral or slightly negative, as if the person simply gives in.
- submissive
- 'Submissive' is stronger and more disapproving, suggesting someone who always yields to others; 'compliant person' is milder and more factual.
Opposites
Word family
- comply verb
- To do what a rule, order, or request requires.
- compliance noun
- The act of following rules or standards, or the state of doing so.
- non-compliant adjective
- Not following a rule or standard, often used in official contexts.
Commonly confused: compliant person or complaisant? compliant person or compliment?
compliant person vs complaisant
'Complaisant' means eager to please and agreeable, while 'compliant' means willing to obey rules or orders. They sound almost the same, so check the spelling carefully.
compliant person vs compliment
'Compliment' is a noun or verb meaning a nice remark; it is not related to obeying rules.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'compliant person' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Compliant person' describes someone who follows rules or orders, so sentence A fits. B confuses it with 'compliment', C gives the opposite meaning, and D uses 'of' where no such pattern exists.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “compliant person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.