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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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
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Recent Examples of obedience
Dennis is an irresponsible pet owner and too lazy to take his dog for obedience training.
—
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Having spent much of his adult life in the Order of St Augustine, whose friars and sisters take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience with a focus on unity and community, his priorities are unity and building bridges.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
To become registered, dogs must be at least 1 year old, be in good health, know basic obedience skills and be comfortable interacting with people.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
In their households, qualities like independence and creativity typically take a backseat to respect and obedience.
—Kelley King Heyworth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Having spent much of his adult life in the Order of St Augustine, whose friars and sisters take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience with a focus on unity and community, his priorities are unity and building bridges.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
To become registered, dogs must be at least 1 year old, be in good health, know basic obedience skills and be comfortable interacting with people.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
In their households, qualities like independence and creativity typically take a backseat to respect and obedience.
—Kelley King Heyworth, Parents, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
-
Tradwives have resurrected the female submission part of the blueprint, but not the male self-sacrifice part.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Both parties seemed ready for court proceedings to finally kick off, with court submissions being filed as recently as last Friday.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 May 2026
Noun
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But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
-
In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Candidates and party members are now concerned about the adherence to those rules.—
Elle Meyers,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
-
In my administration, safety, respect and adherence to the law will be top priorities.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
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In a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court's conservative majority found that compliance with Section 2 could not justify the state's use of race in redrawing its House district lines.—
Aaron Navarro,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Writing in the early 1890s, Nadar deployed Balzac’s reported initial mistrust and later acquiescence to the daguerreotype as an allegory of larger significance for understanding the history of invention.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But as the sexist and racist nature of the MAGA machine has gained mainstream acquiescence if not acceptance, the need to keep up the appearance of diversity is less and less.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In a culture that demands silence and conformity, her endurance becomes the loudest act of love, and his body becomes the only language left.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Complete freedom, paradoxically, leads to conformity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
Noun
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In 1945, Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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With Italy’s surrender to the Allies in 1943, all major tank battles involving their forces came to a halt.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Carlson-Wee introduces himself to Wood with the sweet docility of a young boy meeting his hero.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
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The same goes for docility, often characterized as a near neighbor of meekness.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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