1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in submissiveness
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the cowardly obedience with which the dictator's henchmen followed his every command
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law
expectations of strict obedience to the guidelines were soon dashed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obedience
Having spent much of his adult life in the Order of St Augustine, whose friars and sisters take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience with a focus on unity and community, his priorities are unity and building bridges.
—
Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
To become registered, dogs must be at least 1 year old, be in good health, know basic obedience skills and be comfortable interacting with people.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
In their households, qualities like independence and creativity typically take a backseat to respect and obedience.
—Kelley King Heyworth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
To become registered, dogs must be at least 1 year old, be in good health, know basic obedience skills and be comfortable interacting with people.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
In their households, qualities like independence and creativity typically take a backseat to respect and obedience.
—Kelley King Heyworth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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The complete list of category submissions will be released at a later date.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
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In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Director Kat Coiro follows the romantic comedy formula to a T and makes no apologies for her strict adherence to convention.—
Adam Graham,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Without widespread vaccine adherence, illnesses that were once eradicated can make a return.—
Sukhman Rekhi,
Verywell Health,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 2016, Bermudez went to work for UC San Diego as a compliance officer, and a few years later moved to the bench in Imperial County.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The transparency afforded by onchain markets makes global compliance more effective than ever.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But as the sexist and racist nature of the MAGA machine has gained mainstream acquiescence if not acceptance, the need to keep up the appearance of diversity is less and less.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
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Moss’ dour expression, over-relied upon for silent exposition throughout six seasons, conveys terror in the here and now, as well as for a future where fear is replaced by acquiescence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the First Amendment does not permit the government to enforce ideological conformity.—
Jeffrey S. Trimbath,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
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To reject any anomaly, anything mysterious or unusual, Kawamura suggests, is to succumb to a soul-crushing, self-serving conformity—and to withhold possibilities of decency, discovery, and love that make any game worth playing, life very much included.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a sense of surrender in the way this tune eroticizes total passivity, giving up control, just letting your feelings pound you to a bloody pulp.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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The film shifts the focus from traditional narratives of policy and victimhood to the everyday experiences of individuals adapting to a life of constant threat, raising critical questions about whether these safety rituals signify true preparedness or a surrender to violence.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Carlson-Wee introduces himself to Wood with the sweet docility of a young boy meeting his hero.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
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The same goes for docility, often characterized as a near neighbor of meekness.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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