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Definition of obedience
1a : an act or instance of obeyingb : the quality or state of being obedient Children should learn obedience and respect for authority.
2 : a sphere of jurisdiction landowners within the king's obedience; especially : an ecclesiastical or sometimes secular dominion under the obedience of the Bishop of Rome
From the M-W Editors
Examples of obedience in a Sentence
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
the cowardly obedience with which the dictator's henchmen followed his every command
Recent Examples of obedience from the Web
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Nevertheless, Ahab exacts total obedience from his ragtag men, with one exception: his prudent first mate, Starbuck (the superb Kareem Bandealy), who though firm and unyielding to his last breath is nevertheless undone by Ahab's preternatural fury.
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Personalities and exuberance are ground out by the way that baseball demands obedience to its arcane and silly unwritten rules, with punishments doled out for the most minor infractions.
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Like Catholics, fundamentalists preach strict obedience to religious authority.
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All dogs must be current on their vaccinations and have attended a basic obedience class.
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The commitment required oaths of celibacy, obedience and poverty.
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For their part, many of Mr. Trump’s aides were less than impressed by the public performance of Mr. Kasowitz, a lawyer based in New York who has earned the president’s respect and, for the moment, his situational obedience.
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Rishi has chosen tradition and obedience over doing what makes his soul sing.
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Martin never hints that gay people exist who seek to live in obedience to the Catholic Church.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obedience'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of obedience
13th century
OBEDIENCE Defined for Kids
obedience
playDefinition of obedience for Students
: the act of obeying : willingness to obey
Learn More about obedience
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for obedience Spanish Central: Translation of obedience Nglish: Translation of obedience for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of obedience for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obedience
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