observance
Americannoun
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an act or instance of following, obeying, or conforming to.
the observance of traffic laws.
- Synonyms:
- heedfulness, adherence, compliance
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a keeping or celebration by appropriate procedure, ceremonies, etc..
the observance of the Sabbath.
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a procedure, ceremony, or rite, as for a particular occasion.
patriotic observances.
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a rule or custom to be followed or obeyed; a customary practice.
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Roman Catholic Church.
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a rule or discipline for a religious house or order.
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a house or order observing a rule or discipline.
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an act or instance of watching, noting, or perceiving; observation.
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respectful attention or service.
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Archaic. courteous attention as to a person; dutiful service.
noun
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recognition of or compliance with a law, custom, practice, etc
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the act of such recognition
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a ritual, ceremony, or practice, esp of a religion
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observation or attention
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the degree of strictness of a religious order or community in following its rule
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archaic respectful or deferential attention
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of observance
1175–1225; Middle English observaunce < Old French < Late Latin observantia, Latin: esteem, attention, derivative of observant- (stem of observāns ), present participle of observāre. See observe, -ance
Explanation
Observance is when you obey a rule or law, or follow a long-standing tradition. If your religious observance requires you to fast for several days, you might ask your track coach to let you sit out a race. Observance of traffic laws will usually keep you from getting expensive speeding tickets. And, practicing a religion usually includes various kinds of observance, from attending church or temple to wearing certain items of clothing. You can also use this noun to mean "watching or noticing," like a bird watcher's careful observance of a bush where he once spotted a rare finch — although this is more commonly called observation.
Vocabulary lists containing observance
The Merchant of Venice
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As You Like It
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1.6: Development of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Religions (Sources 1–8)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Equity and fixed-income markets are closed in observance of Memorial Day.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
Equity and bond markets are closed in observance of Memorial Day.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Council published this month “condemning” the campus Hillel for bringing Tov to speak at an April 14 event tied to Yam HaShoah, an annual observance of the Holocaust.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
The two major U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq — will be closed on Friday, April 3, in observance of the Christian holiday.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
“The observance of these standards,” Veblen wrote, “in some degree of approximation, becomes incumbent upon all classes lower in the scale.”
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
