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

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

Synonyms

• 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 intelligence varies by breed and falls into three types: instinctive, adaptive, and working/obedience. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

Conformity, obedience, uniformity Authoritarianism is defined by public opinion scholars as an individual’s predisposition toward conformity, obedience and uniformity and an aversion to diversity, difference and individual autonomy. —Adam Eichen, The Conversation, 11 June 2025

That would be a more potent and immediate way to garner obedience from humans. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025

Foster self-confidence Building on Fogel’s advice to avoid teaching blind obedience, Dr. Lane emphasizes that fostering a child’s self-confidence and self-assurance is a crucial step in preventing abuse. —Alex Vance, Parents, 6 June 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