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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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 Timidity dissolves into might, selfishness gives place to broad-reaching love, incompetence is replaced with obedience to God’s perfect direction. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026 Falwell championed a vision of America rooted in obedience to biblical authority and conformity with traditional values, placing him in tension with Enlightenment principles like individual rights, rational inquiry, and free thought. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 One of six K-9s with the sheriff’s office, Koda is trained in narcotics detection, tracking people, article searches and obedience. — Marissa Yelenik, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • Its inventory depends on what sellers send in—making the timing of those submissions particularly relevant ahead of the holidays.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Ishizaka has programmed Asian cinema at the festival since 2007, when most submissions were still shot on film.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 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
  • Kyiv has also ended its brief adherence to the energy ceasefire Trump declared unilaterally earlier this month.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The more meaningful questions are whether RPM caught deterioration earlier, improved medication adherence or let clinicians intervene before a patient worsened.
    — Ayush Jain, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of adherence
Noun
  • Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Justice Department routinely sends election monitors to polling locations to ensure compliance with laws and that voters’ rights are protected.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of compliance
Noun
  • The greatest near-term threat to world order, then, is what might be called the Taiwanese chip crisis, in which Beijing mobilizes to take control of the island and the United States must choose between armed resistance and acquiescence.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • There are similar issues in competitive races in Kansas, Iowa and Ohio, where Republican acquiescence could hurt the party on Election Day as their constituents face factory layoffs, farm foreclosures and higher prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • Erdogan’s attempt to foster an Ottoman-style pan-Islamism appears to have accelerated liberalization rather than strengthened religious conformity.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But in the middle of this conformity rises building like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Dancing House in Prague, the Harbin Opera House in China—original structures—no copies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of conformity
Noun
  • Kandinsky died in France in December 1944, three days short of his 78th birthday and six months shy of Germany’s surrender to Allied forces.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • After a surrender, the infant is taken to a hospital for a medical exam.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obedience

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obedience

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