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

The observance will take place each year on November 16.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Markets are closed Friday in observance of Independence Day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Trading will be abbreviated in the coming week, with markets closed on Friday, June 3, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 28, 2026

Leo's predecessor Francis largely overlooked many of Europe's traditional bastions of Catholicism where, like Spain, religious observance has been falling rapidly.

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 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

The observances began with a solemn ceremony attended by congressional colleagues and JD Vance in the Capitol Rotunda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Pride Month has been recognized nationally for decades and remains one of the most visible annual observances in American culture.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

In Saudi Arabia, an authority on religious observances for many Muslims, the government called on all Muslims throughout the kingdom to look for the crescent moon on Monday.

From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2024

The family, surnamed You, had gone on a hike after visiting ancestral sites for the traditional grave-sweeping observances.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 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

Related Words

• acknowledgment
• adherence
• celebration
• compliance
• fulfillment