Adjacent Words

Obedient definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OBE'DIENT, a. [L. obediens.] Submissive to authority; yielding compliance with commands, orders or injunctions; performing what is required, or abstaining from what is forbid.
The chief his orders gives; the obedient band, with due observance, wait the chief's command.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority; "an obedient soldier"; "obedient children"; "a little man obedient to his wife"; "the obedient colonies...are heavily taxed; the refractory remain unburdened"- Edmund Burke [ant: disobedient]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oboedient-, oboediens, from present participle of oboedire to obey Date: 13th century submissive to the restraint or command of authority ; willing to obey • obediently adverb Synonyms: obedient, docile, tractable, amenable mean submissive to the will of another. obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority <obedient to the government>. docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance <a docile child>. tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing <tractable animals>. amenable suggests a willingness to yield or to cooperate either because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness <amenable to new ideas>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 obeying or ready to obey. 2 (often foll. by to) submissive to another's will; dutiful (obedient to the law). Derivatives: obediently adv. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L obediens -entis (as OBEY)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Obedient O*be"di*ent, a. [OF. obedient, L. obediens, oboediens, -entis. p. pr. of obedire, oboedire, to obey. See Obey.] Subject in will or act to authority; willing to obey; submissive to restraint, control, or command. And floating straight, obedient to the stream. --Shak. The chief his orders gives; the obedient band, With due observance, wait the chief's command. --Pope. Syn: Dutiful; respectful; compliant; submissive.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A person or animal who is obedient does what they are told to do. He was very respectful at home and obedient to his parents... ADJ • obedience ...unquestioning obedience to the law... N-UNCOUNT: oft N to n • obediently He was looking obediently at Keith, waiting for orders. ADV: ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Compliant, submissive, deferential, dutiful, respectful, yielding compliance, observant, regardful, subservient.

Moby Thesaurus

abject, accepting, accommodating, acquiescent, adaptable, adapting, adaptive, adjustable, adjusting, agreeable, amenable, assenting, biddable, complaisant, compliable, compliant, complying, conformable, conforming, conscientious, consenting, deferential, devoted, docile, duteous, dutiful, ethical, faithful, flexible, humble, law-abiding, loyal, malleable, meek, moral, nondissenting, nonresistant, nonresisting, nonresistive, obeisant, observant, other-directed, passive, plastic, pliant, reconciled, resigned, respectful, scrupulous, servile, sheeplike, submissive, subservient, supine, timid, tractable, unassertive, uncomplaining, unresistant, unresisting, willing, yielding