1
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law
the observance of this family tradition would make your grandmother very happy observance of the smoking ban in public buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
some religions require very specific observances on holy days
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in awareness
a state of being aware
if you've been doing any significant housecleaning, it has escaped my observance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of observance
Local services like garbage pickup and libraries may close in observance of the holiday as well.
—
Addy Bink, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2025
The observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day is always on the second Monday of October.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 10 Oct. 2025
Neither the House nor Senate are scheduled to vote on Thursday, in observance of the Yom Kippur holiday.
—Erik Wasson, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Also in January, post offices across the United States closed for a national day of observance to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died in December.
—Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for observance
Addy Bink, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2025
The observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day is always on the second Monday of October.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 10 Oct. 2025
Neither the House nor Senate are scheduled to vote on Thursday, in observance of the Yom Kippur holiday.
—Erik Wasson, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Also in January, post offices across the United States closed for a national day of observance to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died in December.
—Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for observance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observance
Noun
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The emotions that drive decisions at the top of the free-agent market — sentimentality, desperation, urgency — are dulled by the organization’s adherence to process.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
It’s aimed at weakening our collective, across-the-board sense of boundaries, the mutual adherence to limits that sports are supposed to teach.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
My annual ritual of waiting for delicata squash’s arrival is a reminder to embrace the rhythms of nature and the fleeting beauty of certain culinary moments.—
Jill Schildhouse,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Other rituals include saying a prayer with his team and lighting incense.—
Akili King,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
His awareness — and selflessness — played in Daniel Munoz for Palace’s goal.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Heather spoke with Richard Propes, an activist, minister and cancer survivor who invited a crew to document his Tenderness Tour, a wheelchair journey that raises awareness for vulnerable communities.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To ensure compliance, their technology digs deeper than basic IP address recognition to monitor the exact place someone tries to place a wager, sifting through real-time data from sources such as GPS coordinates, cell phone towers, WiFi access points and Bluetooth beacons.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
In multiple instances, courts have ruled in favor of the states and ordered compliance.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Although Milan will surely take the lion’s share of attention with the global streaming of the event from the San Siro Stadium, the 75,000-audience venue in the city, all other locations will be featured in the opening ceremony.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Ever since Taylor Swift announced her engagement, there has been a frenzy of questions and speculations about what the ceremony and subsequent party will look like.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel holds, where will The Free Press focus the majority of its editorial attention?—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
White working-class people in struggling Rust Belt communities have gotten a great deal of media attention in a partisan context in recent years.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The University of York study explains how particle interactions with dark matter could be tested through real-world observations.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Readers of this newsletter will probably be familiar with the AI scaling laws—the observation that an AI’s capabilities increase in line with the amount of (useful) data and computing power that it is trained on.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In addition to Ducasse’s culinary mastery, offering a cohesive experience that encompasses the liveried staff in period costumes and the ceremonial is part and parcel of the success of the banquet, according to Révah.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
20 Feb. 2025
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For those who missed the game, most of the Chiefs’ scores came in garbage time; the lopsided affair was 24-0 at halftime, and the Eagles’ first score was a ceremonial Jalen Hurts Tush Push.—
Jess Bryant,
The Athletic,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Observance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observance. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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