English Meaning & Definitions
A gesture of respect, such as a bow or curtsy, or a deferential attitude toward someone.
- “The courtier made a low obeisance to the queen as she entered the throne room.”
- “The villagers paid obeisance to the local leader, acknowledging his authority with a respectful nod.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “obeisance”.
Derived from the Old French 'obeissance', which comes from 'obeissant', the present participle of 'obeir' (to obey). It traces back to the Latin 'oboedire', a compound of 'ob-' (towards) and 'audire' (to hear), literally meaning 'to listen to' or 'to give ear to'.
Think of 'obey-sance': It is the physical act of showing that you obey someone.
Frequently Asked Questions About “obeisance”
1. What is the meaning of “obeisance” in English?
In English, obeisance (noun) is defined as: “A gesture of respect, such as a bow or curtsy, or a deferential attitude toward someone.”.
2. How do you use “obeisance” in a sentence?
“The courtier made a low obeisance to the queen as she entered the throne room.”
3. What are English synonyms of “obeisance”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “obeisance”?
Derived from the Old French 'obeissance', which comes from 'obeissant', the present participle of 'obeir' (to obey). It traces back to the Latin 'oboedire', a compound of 'ob-' (towards) and 'audire' (to hear), literally meaning 'to listen to' or 'to give ear to'.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.