observance
Americannoun
-
observances
plural
-
an act or instance of following, obeying, or conforming to.
the observance of traffic laws.
- Synonyms:
- heedfulness, adherence, compliance
-
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.
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
As You Like It
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
1.6: Development of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Religions (Sources 1–8)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The observance will take place each year on November 16.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
What’s News will be off tomorrow in observance of July Fourth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Trading will be abbreviated by a day in the week ahead, with markets closed on Friday, June 3, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 28, 2026
The mass comes on day two of Pope Leo's seven-day visit to Spain, a traditional Catholic bastion where religious observance has been declining sharply in recent years as in much of western Europe.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
He gestured to the worship hall, and then to the statues of the Six standing in silent observance.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Pride celebrations continue to draw millions of participants nationwide, and many of the new observances have generated attention primarily because of the controversy surrounding them.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Holy Week was no holiday: The grim observances of Good Friday led solemnly though with mounting joy toward the celebration of the Resurrection and the most important observance on the Christian calendar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
Turkish officials are, however, expected to attend — and Iranian state news media reported that Ismail Haniyeh, who leads Hamas’s political wing from exile, was in Tehran to attend the observances.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2024
Surviving records make no mention of observances at Mount Vernon, while his diary shows he was often hard at work.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2024
If I practise certain religious observances, then there are grounds for thinking the statement is true, but it is difficult to see how one could ever prove it.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
