obedience

American  

[oh-bee-dee-uhns] / oʊˈbi di əns /

noun

1. the state or quality of being obedient.

2. the act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance.

   Military service demands obedience from its members.

   Synonyms:

   deference, subservience, submission

3. a sphere of authority or jurisdiction, especially ecclesiastical.

4. Chiefly Ecclesiastical.

   1. conformity to a monastic rule or the authority of a religious superior, especially on the part of one who has vowed such conformance.

   2. the rule or authority that exacts such conformance.

---

obedience British  

/ əˈbiːdɪəns /

noun

1. the condition or quality of being obedient

2. the act or an instance of obeying; dutiful or submissive behaviour

3. the authority vested in a Church or similar body

4. the collective group of persons submitting to this authority See also passive obedience

---

Other Word Forms

• overobedience noun
• preobedience noun
• superobedience noun

Etymology

Origin of obedience

1150–1200; Middle English < Old French < Latin oboedientia. See obedient, -ence

Example Sentences

Using songs based on real Shaker hymns, the movie’s most technically ambitious and narratively gratifying scenes depict these vigorous motions as communal expressions of hunger, obedience, grief, devotion and ecstasy.

From Los Angeles Times

But isn’t there risk on the other side—on the side of obedience when a service member is unsure whether an order is lawful?

From The Wall Street Journal

A man who valued loyalty and obedience above all other traits had no tool to command it except money.

From Literature

In a society still influenced by Confucian values such as righteousness and obedience, mental health issues remain heavily stigmatised and many experience feelings of shame or social judgement.

From BBC

“When he was younger, way before we knew we were doing this, he had some basic obedience training,” Fischer noted.

From Salon

Related Words

• acquiescence
• conformity
• deference
• orderliness
• reverence