observance

American  

[uhb-zur-vuhns] / əbˈzɜr vəns /

noun

• observances
  plural

1. an act or instance of following, obeying, or conforming to.

   the observance of traffic laws.

   Synonyms:

   heedfulness, adherence, compliance

2. a keeping or celebration by appropriate procedure, ceremonies, etc..

   the observance of the Sabbath.

3. a procedure, ceremony, or rite, as for a particular occasion.

   patriotic observances.

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

5. Roman Catholic Church.

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

   2. a house or order observing a rule or discipline.

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

7. respectful attention or service.

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

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observance British  

/ əbˈzɜːvəns /

noun

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

2. the act of such recognition

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

4. observation or attention

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

6. archaic respectful or deferential attention

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preobservance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• observances
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

observance observances

Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, said: "We have done everything in observance of the culture and traditions of Tooro. We must all preserve peace and serenity."

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

CMO Today won’t be published Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The observance will take place each year on November 16.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Equity and fixed-income markets are closed in observance of Independence Day.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

He had nothing else to do, poor fellow, except at a certain hour of every afternoon to “go to Lloyd’s”—in observance of a ceremony of seeing his principal, I think.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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

Woodson wanted history to be taught fully and honestly, not as separate observances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

Funeral observances for Mr. Raisi and the others began on Tuesday with a procession in Tabriz, the closest large city to the crash site in northwestern Iran.

From New York Times ● May 25, 2024

St. Patrick’s Day observances date back to before the founding of the U.S., in places like Boston and New York City.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024

What was of worth was not me, but the veneer of constraints and observances that obscured me.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• acknowledgment
• adherence
• celebration
• compliance
• fulfillment