obedience

noun

obe·​di·​ence ō-ˈbē-dē-ən(t)s 

ə-

1

a

: an act or instance of obeying

b

: the quality or state of being obedient

taught the children 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

Synonyms of obedience

• submission
• compliance
• conformity
• submissiveness
• surrender
• subordination

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 on the Web

Their top picks include German shepherds, known for their bravery, obedience, and gentle nature; Rottweilers, intelligent and loyal when well-trained and socialized; and Doberman Pinschers, athletic and energetic but very trainable. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Mindless obedience to orders does. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025

Bondi takes instant obedience to Trump’s social-media edicts as her job description. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Miss Shepherd often speaks of coming up living a normal life dedicated to the somewhat constraining expectations of service and obedience that were placed upon young Black girls in the 40s and 50s. —Essence, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin oboedientia "act of obeying" (Medieval Latin also, "sphere of jurisdiction"), noun derivative of oboedient-, oboedient obedient

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing obedience

• in obedience

Rhymes for obedience

• expedience
• disobedience

Kids Definition

obedience

noun

obe·​di·​ence ō-ˈbēd-ē-ən(t)s 

ə-

1

: an act or instance of obeying

2

: the quality or state of being obedient