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 terms of training, both Beineke and Hutchinson said that avalanche dogs typically start learning basic obedience skills as puppies before moving into more specific search and rescue techniques. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Fear Gets Results, Niceness Builds Loyalty Fear creates compliance and obedience. —Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026

In democratic systems, coercive force does not generate obedience through strength alone. —Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

September 23 – October 22 Leadership doesn’t always look like strict command structures and demands for immediate obedience. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 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

• 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