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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

observance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • əb-zûrʹvəns (General-American)
  • /əbˈzɝvəns/ (General-American)
  • /əbˈzɜːvəns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Old French observance, from Latin observantia. Equivalent of observe + -ance.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule.
  2. (countable, uncountable) The custom of celebrating a holiday or similar occasion.
  3. (countable, uncountable) Observation or the act of watching.
  4. (countable, uncountable) A rule governing a religious order, especially in the Roman Catholic church.
    • Thomas Merton was a monk in the Order of Cistertians of the Strict Observance.
  5. (countable, uncountable) That which is to be observed.
  6. (countable, uncountable) Reverence; homage.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
observances Number=Plur lexicographic
observancy alternative lexicographic
observaunce alternative lexicographic

Antonyms

misobservance

Deriveds

inobservance · misobservance · disobservance · nonobservance · Sabbath observance · hyperobservance · unobservance

Translations (12)

bg обряд ((religion) a rule governing a religious order, especially in the Roman Catholic church) · nl feestdag (the custom of celebrating a holiday) · fr observance (the custom of celebrating a holiday) · bg спазване (practice of complying) · de Beachtung (practice of complying) · ga coinneáil (practice of complying) · fr observance (practice of complying) · bg съблюдаване (practice of complying) · it giorno festivo (the custom of celebrating a holiday) · cs dodržování (practice of complying) · got 𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌿𐌱𐌽𐌹 (practice of complying) · bg тачене (the custom of celebrating a holiday)