1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of obedience
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
Owners of high-energy dogs may choose to supplement walks with obedience, or agility training.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Even so, their training focuses heavily on discipline and obedience.
—Samuel C. Mahaney, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
Most leaders instinctively prefer commitment because engagement feels better than grudging obedience.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2025
Owners of high-energy dogs may choose to supplement walks with obedience, or agility training.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Even so, their training focuses heavily on discipline and obedience.
—Samuel C. Mahaney, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
Most leaders instinctively prefer commitment because engagement feels better than grudging obedience.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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Barbosa quickly and easily took the fight to the ground to secure the submission.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The new monitor’s report, made public Friday, heaped praise on the department’s consent decree adherence between July 1 – Dec. 31, 2024.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Just as political leaders are incentivized to prioritize performance over governance, business leaders must be wary of systems that reward visibility, short-term wins, or rigid adherence to outdated strategies.—
Nate Bennett,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As data marketplaces operate across international borders, businesses must navigate a patchwork of privacy laws and compliance requirements.—
Ashutosh Synghal,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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But neither the Principals’ Association nor the MSAD #51 Board of Directors will sign that compliance agreement, representatives said this week.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Small states have risen to power on first-mover advantages, often with the acquiescence or benign neglect of larger states.—
Kurt M. Campbell,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Apr. 2025
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What the character arrives at though is violent retribution, which feels like an unimaginative acquiescence to familiar pulp storytelling.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Their entire suburban community onscreen is built upon the mundanity of conformity, complete with Janice’s job at a Big Lots-adjacent big box retailer and her husband’s penchant for drinking beers alone at Sizzlin’ Sallies.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
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In confidential interviews, students voiced deep frustration that their academic experience is being eclipsed by ideological imperatives, with many lamenting the intrusion of political conformity into spaces meant for intellectual and professional growth.—
Kevin Waldman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The work relied on the seismometer network’s observations of more than 200 earthquakes, each of which produced multiple types of seismic waves.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
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In simplest terms, the rate at which the universe expands on paper doesn’t match actual astronomical observations.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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When Dane, chief of the Children of Light, swallows his pride and agrees to help the villagers in exchange for Perrin’s surrender at battle’s end, he’s taken by surprise by enemy agents within their midst, led by season one’s minor antagonist, Padan Fain.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
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Far from proposing lenient surrender terms to exonerate the Confederates, Grant did so in an effort to change their hearts and minds.—
Made by History,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After all, this will go to the very Supreme Court that declared, when overruling Chevron, that courts owe no deference to the executive branch when interpreting statutes.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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With an about-face and flattery, executives hoped this time around that Mr. Trump might show tech more deference, including it in his efforts to deregulate industries like energy and autos.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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