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obedience

noun

ō-ˈbē-dē-ən(t)s How to pronounce obedience (audio)
Definition of obediencenext
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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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

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 In order to get Maggie, her beloved first rough collie, then 16-year-old Long-Gschwender struck a bargain with her mom to enter Maggie into an obedience program. — Noah Daly august 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026 What ended the relationship was his insistence on obedience and dominance. — Rin Reczek, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026 In China, Xi is trying to bend technology toward obedience and growth. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Catherine Coldstream entered a Carmelite monastery at age 24, and lived a life of prayer and obedience for 12 years. — Terry Gross, NPR, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
  1. submission
  2. submissiveness
  3. adherence
  4. compliance
  5. acquiescence
  6. conformity
  7. surrender
  8. docility
Noun
  • South Korea selected Possible Love as its submission for the best international feature Oscar, and Netflix is positioning the film as one of its major awards contenders of the season.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The film stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, and is South Korea’s submission for the best international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of submission
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
Definition of submissiveness
Noun
  • Overall, the Bush administration’s misguided foray reinforced in the minds of many in the Middle East a distrust of America’s allegiances, commitments, and adherence to the protocols of the Geneva Conventions, a distrust that persists to this day.
    — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Catering to the Volume, Not the Power User From a purely capitalistic standpoint, power users who demand high literacy, strict prompt adherence, and investigative rigor represent a tiny fraction of Google's user base.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adherence
Noun
  • At the same time, each frame builds upon the last to create a gripping, caustically funny narrative about patriarchy, disempowerment and compliance.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Select Committee’s report also introduced key changes to ease the compliance burden for businesses, such as allowing New Zealand entities to submit existing Australian statements to satisfy local law and prevent double reporting.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of compliance
Noun
  • But many assumptions that Stratos’ investors or Utah politicians might have had about Box Elder County – about either the acquiescence of its people or the barrenness of its landscape – have been proved wrong over the past few months.
    — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Oil has long funded the Gulf’s expensive social contract, in which governments provide citizens with cushy jobs and high-quality services in return for political acquiescence.
    — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • The Orwellian parallels and Cold War overtones are strong on this particular planet, where a hive-mind entity enforces conformity through mass surveillance and zero-tolerance punishments.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That sense of propriety was partly imposed upon him by his father, who, in covering up John’s misdeed, placed an albatross around his son’s neck, demanding his conformity to a narrow sort of principle.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of conformity
Noun
  • And that was actually really important, that sense of surrender.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The surrender followed an investigation that involved multiple Sacramento-area law enforcement agencies, including West Sacramento police and the Yolo Regional SWAT Team.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrender
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
Definition of docility

Browse Nearby Words

obdurateness
obedience
obediences
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Cite this Entry

“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obedience

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obedience

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