obedience

[ oh-bee-dee-uhns ]
/ oʊˈbi di əns /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR obedience ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or quality of being obedient.
the act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance: Military service demands obedience from its members.
a sphere of authority or jurisdiction, especially ecclesiastical.
Chiefly Ecclesiastical.
  1. conformity to a monastic rule or the authority of a religious superior, especially on the part of one who has vowed such conformance.
  2. the rule or authority that exacts such conformance.

Origin of obedience

1150–1200; Middle English < Old French < Latin oboedientia. See obedient, -ence

OTHER WORDS FROM obedience

o·ver·o·be·di·ence, noun pre·o·be·di·ence, noun su·per·o·be·di·ence, noun

Words nearby obedience

obduracy, obdurate, obe, obeah, obeche, obedience, obedience training, obedience trial, obedient, obedient plant, obedientiary

Words related to obedience

deference, orderliness, conformity, reverence, acquiescence, duty, observance, submission, accordance, quietness, compliance, servility, agreement, tractability, willingness, meekness, respect, subservience, docility, manageability

Example sentences from the Web for obedience

British Dictionary definitions for obedience

obedience
/ (əˈbiːdɪəns) /

noun

the condition or quality of being obedient
the act or an instance of obeying; dutiful or submissive behaviour
the authority vested in a Church or similar body
the collective group of persons submitting to this authority See also passive obedience