obedient

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adjective obe·di·ent \ ō-ˈbē-dē-ənt , ə- \

Definition of obedient

:submissive to the restraint or command of authority :willing to obey

an obedient child

an obedient dog

obedient to those whom he feared
—A. N. Wilson

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obediently

adverb

See obedient defined for English-language learners

See obedient defined for kids

Examples of obedient in a Sentence

that boy is so obedient that he does everything the first time he is asked

Recent Examples of obedient from the Web

Outside, obedient, slightly bored students print in marble composition notebooks.

— joanna petrone, Longreads, "Pregnant, then Ruptured," 18 Aug. 2017
At first look, children in the pet-owning families seemed to have better health, and were more likely to be physically active and obedient.

— rita giordano, Philly.com, "Pets are a kid's best friend, right? Maybe not, study says," 11 Aug. 2017
NAGASAKI, Japan — On the morning of Aug. 9,1945, Sanae Ikeda was anything but the obedient son.

— hal bernton, The Seattle Times, "Under the mushroom cloud: Will Nagasaki’s story be told at Hanford’s new national park?," 2 Aug. 2017
Factor in its beefier brakes, its standard helical limited-slip differential, and its overall resistance to pitch, dive, and lean, and the Civic Si can really be driven hard yet remains eminently obedient.

— steve siler, Car and Driver, "2017 Honda Civic Si," 29 May 2017
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

— barbara bresnahan, Courant Community, "Moms, Sons Make Memories At Dance," 26 May 2017
Puccini’s opera indulges in an uncomfortable racial stereotype: the obedient, long-suffering Japanese geisha.

— anthony tommasini, New York Times, "‘Butterfly’ and ‘Carmen,’ in Bold and Vivid Cuts," 23 May 2017
Barnett's list included prairie smoke, coneflower, compass plant, obedient plant and butterflyweed — native prairie plants that bloom at different times — as well as native shrubs including filbert, which produces fruits for wildlife in fall.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Earnest gardeners ward off rain at Conserve Lake County native plant sale," 22 May 2017
Whereas parents of obedient children enjoy advantages and conveniences not enjoyed by parents of disobedient children, the benefits of obedience accrue primarily to the child.

— john rosemond, charlotteobserver, "John Rosemond: ’60s utopianism struck deep into the heart of American parenting," 26 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obedient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of obedient

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oboedient-, oboediens, from present participle of oboedire to obey

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First Known Use: 13th century

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obedient Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of obedient

obedient, docile, tractable, amenable mean submissive to the will of another. obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority.

- obedient to the government

docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance.

- a docile child

tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing.

- tractable animals

amenable suggests a willingness to yield or cooperate because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness.

- amenable to new ideas

OBEDIENT Defined for English Language Learners

obedient

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adjective

Definition of obedient for English Language Learners

: willing to do what someone tells you to do or to follow a law, rule, etc. : willing to obey

OBEDIENT Defined for Kids

obedient

play

adjective obe·di·ent \ ō-ˈbē-dē-ənt \

Definition of obedient for Students

:willing to do as told by someone in authority :willing to obey

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obediently

adverb

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OBEDIENT Defined for English Language Learners

obedient

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