obey

To follow rules and laws is to obey. This verb is used when describing activity related to behavior.

• Steve obeys the law when he drives his car.
• Helen doesn’t obey the law when she drives. She often gets pulled over by the police.
• Obeying the law is not that hard to do.
• Do you obey the speed limit when you drive?
• If you obey the rules of this company, you’ll do well; if you don’t obey the rules, you’ll get fired.
• Joan obeyed her diet for as long as possible, but she couldn’t stick with it and regained the weight she lost.
• Timmy didn’t obey his mother, so he was punished.
• You should obey your parents.

The word "obedient" is an adjective:

• Juan and Hilda have very well-mannered and obedient children.
• The owner of the company appreciates having obedient employees who do what they are asked to do.
• The boy was sent to the principal’s office for being disobedient. (The prefix "dis" forms the opposite meaning.)

The word "obedience" is a noun:

• The girl was praised for her obedience to her parents.
• Obedience is a virtue.

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This page was first published on July 17, 2012. It was updated on March 17, 2015.