1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obedience
And also the anticipatory obedience by a lot of these news organizations who are more timid.
—
Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Dennis is an irresponsible pet owner and too lazy to take his dog for obedience training.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Dennis is an irresponsible pet owner and too lazy to take his dog for obedience training.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
-
Tradwives have resurrected the female submission part of the blueprint, but not the male self-sacrifice part.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Both parties seemed ready for court proceedings to finally kick off, with court submissions being filed as recently as last Friday.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Candidates and party members are now concerned about the adherence to those rules.—
Elle Meyers,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
-
In my administration, safety, respect and adherence to the law will be top priorities.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
This spring, Minnesota state lawmakers are considering legislation (SF 3769/HF 3609) to further enforce compliance with the 340B program, which allows qualifying medical facilities to buy medications from pharmaceutical companies at a discount.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Michael Santiago, 48, is a professional compliance officer at a bank and resident of Chatsworth, who gets his comics at We Can Be Heroes.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Writing in the early 1890s, Nadar deployed Balzac’s reported initial mistrust and later acquiescence to the daguerreotype as an allegory of larger significance for understanding the history of invention.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
In a culture that demands silence and conformity, her endurance becomes the loudest act of love, and his body becomes the only language left.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Complete freedom, paradoxically, leads to conformity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
In 1945, Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
With Italy’s surrender to the Allies in 1943, all major tank battles involving their forces came to a halt.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Carlson-Wee introduces himself to Wood with the sweet docility of a young boy meeting his hero.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
-
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 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
