obey

/əˈbeɪ/

follow rules or orders

Soldiers must obey their commander without question.

This shows strict compliance with authority figures.

formal

to comply with or follow instructions, laws, or commands

Children are taught to obey their parents.

This reflects the expected behavior in family structures.

The robot is programmed to obey its owner's voice commands.

This illustrates mechanical compliance with human input.

Often implies submission to authority or rules. Can sound formal in casual contexts.

Collocations

obey the lawfollow legal rulesobey ordersfollow given instructionsobey commandsfollow directives

Instead of 'Rules must be obeyed by everyone,' use 'Everyone must obey the rules' for clarity.

Obey implies a hierarchy: the subject (who obeys) is subordinate to the authority (whose rules/commands are followed).

From Middle English obeien, from Old French obeir, from Latin oboedīre (to obey), from ob- (toward) + audīre (to hear).

Used for people, animals, or machines following instructions. Avoid in contexts requiring autonomy (e.g., not used for 'obey your heart').

ob-

toward

prefix

-ey

to hear

root

English Dictionary