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
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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
Their intelligence varies by breed and falls into three types: instinctive, adaptive, and working/obedience.
—
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Conformity, obedience, uniformity Authoritarianism is defined by public opinion scholars as an individual’s predisposition toward conformity, obedience and uniformity and an aversion to diversity, difference and individual autonomy.
—Adam Eichen, The Conversation, 11 June 2025
That would be a more potent and immediate way to garner obedience from humans.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Foster self-confidence Building on Fogel’s advice to avoid teaching blind obedience, Dr. Lane emphasizes that fostering a child’s self-confidence and self-assurance is a crucial step in preventing abuse.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Conformity, obedience, uniformity Authoritarianism is defined by public opinion scholars as an individual’s predisposition toward conformity, obedience and uniformity and an aversion to diversity, difference and individual autonomy.
—Adam Eichen, The Conversation, 11 June 2025
That would be a more potent and immediate way to garner obedience from humans.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Foster self-confidence Building on Fogel’s advice to avoid teaching blind obedience, Dr. Lane emphasizes that fostering a child’s self-confidence and self-assurance is a crucial step in preventing abuse.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings.—
Jim Asker,
Billboard,
23 July 2025
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Instead of offering a comment, Brigitte is resorting to trying to bully a reporter into submission.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Iraq has witnessed similar deadly incidents in the past, often attributed to a lack of adherence to civil defense regulations, and poor safety measures and electrical short circuits.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
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That’s not to say those outcomes cannot be challenged, but they must be challenged within those electoral and legal systems, in adherence to the U.S. Constitution.—
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
Noun
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By automating the deregulation process, the administration aims to reduce government spending and compliance burdens significantly.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
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Trump extended ByteDance’s compliance deadline until Sept. 17.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
26 July 2025
Noun
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The federal government’s success in strong-arming Ryan to resign and the UVA Board’s acquiescence to it have been viewed by higher education officials as one more alarming step by the Trump administration to strip away university autonomy and self-governance.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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Too many have chosen the politics of non-engagement, which is at best a hair’s breadth away from acquiescence or complicity.—
Kamila Shamsie
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Price describes the album as a call for individuality and resistance against conformity.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Relying on internet searches during brainstorming may lead to conformity and less innovation, particularly in larger teams.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Good data on the Earth's rotation goes back thousands of years, thanks to observations of solar eclipses in China.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
22 July 2025
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Capital One Financial’s Historical Odds of a Positive Post-Earnings Return Here are some observations regarding one-day (1D) post-earnings returns: Over the last five years, there are 20 earnings data points recorded, with 15 positive and 5 negative one-day (1D) returns noted.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
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As for Kramer, the defense accounting agency said Kramer was a member of the 19th Air Base Squadron, 20th Air Base Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in 1942 and got caught up in intense fighting until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
15 July 2025
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Deputies attempted for hours to negotiate a peaceful surrender, which did not work.—
Theresa Clift
July 12,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
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But in deference to the surrender seeker, only one section of the trip will be shared at a time.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Trump speaks about free speech but lawsuits serve as warning signal Paramount and CBS are following what is — by now — a well worn path of corporate deference to Trump.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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