obedience

noun

obe·​di·​ence ō-ˈbē-dē-ən(t)s How to pronounce obedience (audio)
ə-
1
a
: an act or instance of obeying
b
: the quality or state of being obedient
Children should learn obedience and respect for authority.
2
: a sphere of jurisdiction
landowners within the king's obedience
especially : an ecclesiastical or sometimes secular dominion
under the obedience of the Bishop of Rome

Examples of obedience in a Sentence

the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits the cowardly obedience with which the dictator's henchmen followed his every command
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
To capture it on camera, Siegel and McGehee leaned on Bing’s obedience and his very game co-star. Jake Kring-Schreifels, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2025 Some ask for a promise to do obedience training and to give the rescue organization the right to make follow-up visits. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025 And as well as the famous dog-showing competition, there are opportunities for dogs to showcase their agility and obedience skills. Issy Ronald, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025 The Chicago thrillers feature college student and sometime dog obedience trainer Cory Pratt, who lives with his sister Crystal Pratt, an investigator in the violent crimes section of the Chicago police department. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obedience

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin oboedientia "act of obeying" (Medieval Latin also, "sphere of jurisdiction"), noun derivative of oboedient-, oboedient obedient

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of obedience was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obedience. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

obedience

noun
obe·​di·​ence ō-ˈbēd-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce obedience (audio)
ə-
1
: an act or instance of obeying
2
: the quality or state of being obedient

More from Merriam-Webster on obedience

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