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

In order to get Maggie, her beloved first rough collie, then 16-year-old Long-Gschwender struck a bargain with her mom to enter Maggie into an obedience program. — Noah Daly august 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026

What ended the relationship was his insistence on obedience and dominance. — Rin Reczek, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026

In China, Xi is trying to bend technology toward obedience and growth. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Catherine Coldstream entered a Carmelite monastery at age 24, and lived a life of prayer and obedience for 12 years. — Terry Gross, NPR, 24 July 2026

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

• disobedience
• expedience

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