observance

[ uhb-zur-vuhns ]

/ əbˈzɜr vəns /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR observance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act or instance of following, obeying, or conforming to: the observance of traffic laws.

a keeping or celebration by appropriate procedure, ceremonies, etc.: the observance of the Sabbath.

a procedure, ceremony, or rite, as for a particular occasion: patriotic observances.

a rule or custom to be followed or obeyed; a customary practice.

Roman Catholic Church.

a rule or discipline for a religious house or order.
a house or order observing a rule or discipline.

an act or instance of watching, noting, or perceiving; observation.

respectful attention or service.

Archaic. courteous attention as to a person; dutiful service.

Nearby words

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

SYNONYMS FOR observance

1 compliance, adherence, heedfulness.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR observance ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formspre·ob·serv·ance, noun

Can be confusedobservance observation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for observance

Even for Washington and Lincoln one observance day was enough.
Embodying Franklin Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Remains a Vital Challenge|Harvey J. Kaye|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The observance of due process of law by the court was exemplary in this case,” says lawyer Minallah.
Memogate Brings Pakistan to the Edge|Ron Moreau|January 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The river, the fountain, and the aged oak, each had its legend and its observance of unknown antiquity.
History of Religion|Allan Menzies
The law for the observance of the Sabbath comes to us in language that cannot be mistaken and from a source not to be denied.
Foot-prints of a letter carrier|James Rees

Barop, though usually very strict in the observance of religious duties, never demanded anything for the sake of mere appearances.
The Story Of My Life From Childhood To Manhood|Georg Ebers
Many objected to the want of quotations, and to the observance of an orthography that had become obsolete.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 2|Henry Hallam
Among other things, he asked whether he commanded the observance of the Sabbath.
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius|Saint Ignatius Loyola

British Dictionary definitions for observance

observance

/ (əbˈzɜːvəns) /

noun

recognition of or compliance with a law, custom, practice, etc

the act of such recognition

a ritual, ceremony, or practice, esp of a religion

observation or attention

the degree of strictness of a religious order or community in following its rule

archaic respectful or deferential attention

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for observance

observance

early 13c., "act performed in accordance with prescribed usage," especially a religious or ceremonial one, from Old French observance, osservance "observance, discipline," or directly from Latin observantia "act of keeping customs, attention, respect, regard, reverence," from observantem (nominative observans), present participle of observare (see observe). Observance is the attending to and carrying out of a duty or rule. Observation is watching, noticing.

observance

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of observance

Examples from the Web for observance

British Dictionary definitions for observance

observance

noun

Word Origin and History for observance

observance