obedience

[oh-bee-dee-uhns]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of obedience¹

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

Example Sentences

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?

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He demands total obedience and promises punishment if we disobey.

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

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Cult of the infallible leader: While the leader is of course indispensable, his supremacy and dominance would be impossible to maintain without the sycophancy and unquestioning obedience of millions of members of the national community.

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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.

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Related Words

• acquiescence 
• conformity 
• deference 
• orderliness www.thesaurus.com
• reverence