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obsequence

American

[ob-si-kwuhns] / ˈɒb sɪ kwəns /

Also obsequeence

noun

willingness or eagerness to comply, please, serve, etc.; obsequiousness.

Etymology

Origin of obsequence

1595–1605; < Latin obsequentia, equivalent to obsequent-, stem of obsequēns present participle of obsequī to comply with ( see obsequious) + -ia -ia

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.

Beginning with his hardscrabble boyhood on a Texas farm, he has been irresistibly drawn to wealth and power and has managed, by an adroit mixture of dash and obsequence, to gain both.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023