Synonyms for compliant

34 synonyms
10 antonyms
2 meanings

adjective

Most common

docile obedient amenable flexible compatible in-line

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Docile — willing to comply; submissive; willing to do what someone wants

docile, obedient, conformable formal, amenable, flexible, tractable, supple, ready, yielding, easy, indulgent, pliant, submissive, passive, obliging, pliable, dutiful, meek, manageable, bending, facile, complaisant

2. Compatible — compatible with or following guidelines, specifications, rules, or laws

compatible, in-line, consistent, uniform, congruent, conformant, agreeable, congruous, proportionate, commensurate

Other

conforming, non-resistant

Antonyms

defiant, non-compliant, recalcitrant

All antonyms of compliant →

Definitions

adj. 1
Willing to comply; submissive; willing to do what someone wants.
Tendon is compliant compared to bone.
adj. 2
Compatible with or following guidelines, specifications, rules, or laws.
The browser is standards-compliant.

Related words

Word family: compliancy compliantly compliance

Choose the right word

Compliant, Docile, Tractable or Pliant?

One who is docile is easily taught; one who is tractable is easily led; one who is pliant is easily bent in any direction; compliant represents one as inclined or persuaded to agreement with another's will.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

flexible I suggest we adopt flexible tactics for the moment.
obedient I doubt very seriously that Tom will be obedient.
docile That the sheep be docile is in the wolf's interest.
pliant We need fewer pliant journalists, not more.
consistent Tom had injuries consistent with a severe beating.
compatible This program is not compatible with this computer.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
compliant		rising
flexible		steady
obedient		steady
docile		rising
pliant		rising
consistent		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: easy², meek¹
5 letters: ready²
6 letters: docile², supple², facile², pliant²
7 letters: uniform³, passive², bending², pliable³, dutiful³
8 letters: flexible³, yielding², obedient⁴, amenable⁴, obliging³
9 letters: agreeable⁴, indulgent³, congruent³, tractable³, congruous
10 letters: consistent³, compatible⁴, manageable⁴, submissive³, conforming³, conformant
11 letters: conformable, complaisant³
12 letters: commensurate⁴
13 letters: proportionate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (easy² = 2 syllables).