Compatibility may refer to:

Computing

Backward compatibility Backward compatibility (sometimes known as backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with input designed for such a system, especially i ...

, in which newer devices can understand data generated by older devices *

Compatibility card A compatibility card is an expansion card for computers that allows it to have hardware emulation with another device. While compatibility cards date back at least to the Apple II family, the majority of them were made for 16-bit computers, often ...

, an expansion card for hardware emulation of another device *

Compatibility layer In software engineering, a compatibility layer is an interface that allows binaries for a legacy or foreign system to run on a host system. This translates system calls for the foreign system into native system calls for the host system. With som ...

, components that allow for non-native support of components **

Compatibility mode A compatibility mode is a software mechanism in which a software either emulates an older version of software, or mimics another operating system in order to allow older or incompatible software or files to remain compatible with the computer's n ...

, software mechanism in which a software emulates an older version of software *

Computer compatibility A family of computer models is said to be compatible if certain software that runs on one of the models can also be run on all other models of the family. The computer models may differ in performance, reliability or some other characteristic. T ...

, of a line of machines **

IBM PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

, computers that are generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, or AT *

Hardware compatibility A family of computer models is said to be compatible if certain software that runs on one of the models can also be run on all other models of the family. The computer models may differ in performance, reliability or some other characteristic. Th ...

, between different pieces of computer hardware *

License compatibility License compatibility is a legal framework that allows for pieces of software with different software licenses to be distributed together. The need for such a framework arises because the different licenses can contain contradictory requirement ...

, of software licenses *

Pin compatibility In electronics, pin-compatible devices are electronic components, generally integrated circuits or expansion cards, sharing a common footprint and with the same functions assigned or usable on the same pins. Pin compatibility is a property desir ...

, in devices that have the same functions assigned to the same particular pins *

Software compatibility A family of computer models is said to be compatible if certain software that runs on one of the models can also be run on all other models of the family. The computer models may differ in performance, reliability or some other characteristic. Th ...

, between different pieces of software **

Software incompatibility Software incompatibility is a characteristic of software components or systems which cannot operate satisfactorily together on the same computer, or on different computers linked by a computer network. They may be components or systems which are in ...

Science and mathematics

Compatibility (biological) A split in phylogenetics is a bipartition of a set of taxa, and the smallest unit of information in unrooted phylogenetic trees: each edge of an unrooted phylogenetic tree represents one split, and the tree can be efficiently reconstructed from it ...

, a property which is assigned to splits of a given set of taxa *

Compatibility (chemical) Chemical compatibility is a measure of how stable a substance is when mixed with another substance. If two substances can mix together and undergo a chemical reaction, they are considered compatible. So, incompatible is vice versa. Chemical compati ...

, how stable a substance is when mixed with another substance *

Compatibility (geochemistry) Compatibility is a term used by geochemists to describe how elements partition themselves in the solid and melt within Earth's mantle. In geochemistry, compatibility is a measure of how readily a particular trace element substitutes for a major el ...

, how readily a particular trace element substitutes for a major element within a mineral *

Compatibility (mechanics) In continuum mechanics, a compatible deformation (or strain) tensor field in a body is that ''unique'' tensor field that is obtained when the body is subjected to a continuous, single-valued, displacement field. Compatibility is the study of th ...

, the study of compatible deformations in continuum mechanics *

Electromagnetic compatibility Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their electromagnetic environment, by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic energy whic ...

, which studies the unintentional generation, propagation, and reception of electromagnetic energy *

Consistency In classical deductive logic, a consistent theory is one that does not lead to a logical contradiction. The lack of contradiction can be defined in either semantic or syntactic terms. The semantic definition states that a theory is consistent ...

, logical compatibility between two or more propositions *

Compatible relation In abstract algebra, a congruence relation (or simply congruence) is an equivalence relation on an algebraic structure (such as a group, ring, or vector space) that is compatible with the structure in the sense that algebraic operations done w ...

, a binary relation that commutes with each operation of an algebraic structure

Other uses

Astrological compatibility Astrological compatibility (synastry) is the branch of astrology that studies relationships by comparing natal horoscopes. A natal horoscope is a chart or map of the angles of the planets in the Solar System and their positions in the zodiac at t ...

, a branch of astrology that studies relationships by comparing natal horoscopes *

Compatibilism Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are mutually compatible and that it is possible to believe in both without being logically inconsistent. Compatibilists believe that freedom can be present or absent in situations for re ...

, a philosophical position *

Interpersonal compatibility The concept of interpersonal relationship involves social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. Interpersonal relationships vary in their degree of intimacy or self-disclosure, but also in their duration, in t ...

, the long-term interaction between two or more individuals in terms of the ease and comfort of communication {{disambiguation