obeisance

noun

obei·​sance ō-ˈbē-sᵊn(t)s 

ə-,

-ˈbā- 

1

: a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow

After making his obeisances he approached the altar.

2

: acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance : homage

makes obeisance to her mentors

The players paid obeisance to their coach.

obeisant

ō-ˈbē-sᵊnt 

ə-

-ˈbā-

adjective

obeisantly adverb

Did you know?

When it first appeared in English in the 14th century, obeisance shared the same meaning as obedience. This makes sense given that obeisance can be traced back to the Anglo-French word obeir, a verb meaning “to obey” that is also an ancestor of English’s obey. The other senses of obeisance also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the “obedience” sense is now obsolete... or is it? Recent evidence suggests that obeisance is starting to be used again as an (often disparaging) synonym of obedience; for example, a politician deemed too easily swayed by others may be said to have pledged obeisance to party leaders or malign influences.

Examples of obeisance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After a decade of seemingly supine obeisance, there is no obvious reason why the military leadership would suddenly rouse itself to oppose Xi. —Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025

Visitors who fail to perform the requisite display of obeisance have faced consequences, as in the Feb. 28 blowup with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. —Massimo Calabresi, Time, 24 July 2025

But Zuckerberg isn’t the only one paying abject obeisance to the president. —Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 July 2025

In the first case, Obama was accused of showing obeisance to a foreign ruler and Islam. —Brendan Cole shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English obeissance, obeysaunce "obedience, submission, gesture indicating submission," borrowed from Anglo-French obeissaunce, from obeisant "willing to obey" (from present participle of obeir "to submit to the authority of, obey") + -aunce -ance — more at obey

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing obeisance

• pay obeisance

Rhymes for obeisance

• complaisance
• renascence

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Kids Definition

obeisance

noun

obei·​sance ō-ˈbēs-ᵊn(t)s  -ˈbās- 

: a movement of the body (as a bow) made as a sign of respect