obedience

See also: obédience

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English obedience, from Anglo-Norman obedience, from Old French obedience (modern French obédience), from Latin oboedientia. Displaced native Old English hīersumnes (compare modern English hearsomeness). Cognate with obeisance.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ə(ʊ)ˈbiːdɪəns/
  • (US) IPA(key): /oʊˈbidiəns/, /əˈbidiəns/
  • Audio (California):(file)

Noun

obedience (countable and uncountable, plural obediences)

  1. The quality of being obedient.
    Obedience is essential in any army.
  2. The collective body of persons subject to any particular authority.
  3. A written instruction from the superior of an order to those under him.
  4. Any official position under an abbot's jurisdiction.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

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Further reading

Old French

Etymology

From Latin.

Noun

obedience oblique singularf (oblique plural obediences, nominative singular obedience, nominative plural obediences)

  1. obedience
  2. authority; influence; power
    Il comaunda par obedience Ke de la femme s’en issist
    He commanded by his authority that it (the evil spirit) come out of her