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Meaning & use

obedience

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/əˈbiːdiəns/
US/oʊˈbiːdiəns/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The act of doing what you are told by a person in authority or what a rule requires.

    Grammar: Uncountable and often followed by to: obedience to the law. Obedience is shown to a person, a rule or a command.

    Patterns

    • obedience to someone
    • obedience to something
    • in obedience to something

    The sergeant demanded complete obedience from the new recruits.

    Parents often expect obedience, but children also need a reason for rules.

    Her obedience to the traffic laws kept her record clean.

  2. noununcountable

    The training of a dog to follow commands, or a class or competition that tests this.

    Grammar: Often used before another noun: an obedience class or an obedience trial.

    Patterns

    • obedience class
    • obedience training

    We signed our puppy up for an obedience class on Saturdays.

    The dog won first place in the obedience trial.

    Basic obedience training teaches a dog to sit and stay.

Common combinations

blind obedience
The captain warned against blind obedience to every order.
obedience to the law
Obedience to the law is expected of every citizen.
demand obedience
The headmaster used to demand obedience from every pupil.
unquestioning obedience
The cult required unquestioning obedience from its followers.
obedience training
Obedience training made walks with the dog much easier.
in obedience to
In obedience to the doctor's advice, he rested for a week.

Synonyms and how they differ

compliance
Compliance stresses going along with a rule or request, and it is often used for regulations, whereas obedience suggests following a commanding person.
submission
Submission suggests giving in to a stronger power, which is heavier and less willing than obedience.
conformity
Conformity means behaving like everyone else, not necessarily following a command.
deference
Deference is respectful yielding to someone's opinion, and it is gentler than obedience to an order.

Opposites

disobediencedefiancerebellion

Word family

obey verb
to do what you are told or what a rule says
obedient adjective
willing to do what you are told
obediently adverb
in a way that follows orders
disobedience noun
the failure to obey
disobey verb
to refuse to do what you are told

Commonly confused: obedience or obeisance?

obedience vs obeisance

Obeisance is a formal word for a bow or gesture showing deep respect, and it is rarer and more ceremonial than obedience.

Practice

Which preposition normally follows obedience when you mean following a rule?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “obedience”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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