Word of the Day

: March 10, 2024

obeisance

noun oh-BEE-sunss

What It Means

Obeisance is a synonym of homage that refers to an acknowledgement of another’s importance or superiority. Obeisance can also mean “a movement of the body (such as a bow) showing respect for someone or something.”

// The young singer paid obeisance to Otis Redding while on tour in Memphis by singing “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”

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obeisance in Context

“Supreme Court rules establish specific guidelines by which these conferences must be conducted. But compliance is rare, and they are usually held in secret and undocumented. The clandestine nature of 402 proceedings conflicts with the judiciary’s general obeisance to concepts of transparency and public accountability in criminal cases.” — Jim Dey, The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois), 3 Oct. 2023

Did You Know?

When it first appeared in English in the 14th century, obeisance shared the same meaning as obedience. This makes sense given that obeisance can be traced back to the Anglo-French word obeir, a verb meaning “to obey” that is also an ancestor of English’s obey. The other senses of obeisance also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the “obedience” sense is now obsolete... or is it? Recent evidence suggests that obeisance is starting to be used again as an (often disparaging) synonym of obedience; for example, a politician deemed too easily swayed by others may be said to have pledged obeisance to party leaders or malign influences.