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Preposition after adjective

Compliant with, to, in, by or for?

Compliant with is the standard pattern for rules, laws, standards, and requests. Other prepositions are limited or usually unnatural.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows compliant?

Use compliant with for rules, standards, laws, or requests. Compliant to is sometimes used in technical fields but is less common in general English. Compliant in, compliant by, and compliant for are usually not standard adjective patterns.

The product is compliant with safety regulations.
All staff must remain compliant with company policy.
The device is compliant to the older network standard.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
compliant with + rule/standard

Following rules or requirements

Use compliant with for laws, standards, policies, and formal requirements.

The website is compliant with accessibility guidelines.
The company remained compliant with local regulations.
2
compliant with + request

Following instructions or wishes

Compliant with can also describe someone who follows a request or instruction.

The contractor was compliant with the inspector's request.
She stayed compliant with the court order.
3
compliant to + technical standard

Technical or specialised usage

Compliant to appears in some technical writing, especially about compatibility standards, but compliant with is more widely accepted.

The software is compliant to the legacy specification.
The chip remains compliant to industry requirements.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
compliant with
The packaging is compliant with EU regulations.
following rules, standards, or requirements
compliant to
The device is compliant to the older protocol.
used mainly in technical contexts; compliant with is more common
compliant in
The company is compliant in several areas.
Here in introduces an area of activity, not a fixed adjective-preposition pattern.
compliant by
The system was updated by engineers to remain compliant.
By is not normally selected by compliant; it may appear separately in the sentence.
compliant for
The software is compliant for international use.
This is usually unnatural; use compliant with international standards instead.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using compliant by as the main pattern

Compliant is not normally followed by by.

✕ The factory is compliant by safety rules. ✓ The factory is compliant with safety rules.

Using compliant for with standards

Use with when referring to rules or standards.

✕ The product is compliant for industry regulations. ✓ The product is compliant with industry regulations.

Overusing compliant to in general English

Compliant to exists in technical contexts, but with is safer and more natural in everyday English.

✕ The company is compliant to local laws. ✓ The company is compliant with local laws.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The equipment is fully ___ international safety standards.
2. In technical documentation, you may see software described as ___ an older protocol.
3. The organisation remained ___ company policy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is compliant with correct?

Yes. Compliant with is the standard and most common pattern.

Can I say compliant to?

Yes, especially in technical writing, but compliant with is more natural in general English.

Are compliant by and compliant for correct?

They are usually not standard adjective-preposition combinations with compliant.

calm, in, calm, for, calm, about "candid about" or "candid in"? capable of or in? careful about, with, of, in or on? careless about, with, in, of or on? caribbean in, for, with, to or on? "catastrophic for" or "catastrophic to"? "cautious about" or "cautious in"? celtic in, for, on, at or to? central to, in, for, at or of? "certain of" or "certain about"? "challenging for" or "challenging of"?

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