obey

verb

obeyed; obeying

transitive verb

1
: to follow the commands or guidance of
He always obeys his parents.
2
: to conform to or comply with
obey an order
Falling objects obey the laws of physics.

intransitive verb

: to behave obediently
The dog does not always obey.
obeyer noun

Examples of obey in a Sentence

His dog has learned to obey several commands. He always obeys his parents. The children must obey the rules. The children must learn to obey.
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.
For those walking: Always use a crosswalk and obey the signals. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2025 Be sure to avoid activities with open sparks and obey local burn bans! Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 The family members refused to obey deputies’ instructions, leading to a fight with the deputies and the FBI agent, deputies said. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025 The motion came after the Manhattan prosecutors who had been handling the case withdrew from it or quit rather than obey orders to file the dismissal, at which point it was transferred to Washington, D.C. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obey

Word History

Etymology

Middle English obeien, borrowed from Anglo-French obeir, going back to Latin oboedīre, from ob- "toward, in the direction of" + -oedīre, probably unstressed form (with -oe- of uncertain origin) of audīre "to hear" — more at ob-, audible entry 1

Note: The -oe- in oboedīre is peculiar both because it is not the expected result of -au- in a non-initial syllable (the regular outcome is -ū-) and because -oe- is in any case rare non-initially. Various attempts have been made to account for the irregularity. Reflecting earlier suggestions, Michiel de Vaan hypothesizes pre-Latin *ób-awizdijō > *obowizdijō > *oboizdijō (rounding of a before w, which is then lost, prior to the weakening of a to u) > oboediō (with z blocking monophthongization of -oi- to -ū- before succumbing to cluster reduction) (see Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008). As an alternative to assumptions of questionable phonetic change, it has also been suggested that a base other than audīre is at issue (Michael Weiss suggests *ob-bhoi̯diō, from a nominal derivative of the base of fīdere "to trust" [see faith entry 1]; see Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd edition, Ann Arbor, 2020, p. 130).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of obey was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Obey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obey. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

obey

verb
obeyed; obeying
1
a
: to follow the commands or guidance of
obeyed her parents
b
: to be obedient
trained the dog to obey
2
: to act in agreement with : carry out
obey an order
obey the rules

More from Merriam-Webster on obey

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