obey
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to do what a person or an organization tells you to do.
to carry out the instructions or commands of a person or institution. Transitive when specifying the authority being followed.
Simple“The dog is very well-trained and will obey its owner immediately.”
In context“Citizens are expected to obey the local authorities even when they disagree with specific administrative policies.”
PitfallThe soldiers obeyed to the captain. The soldiers obeyed the captain.Do not use 'to' after obey when followed by a person or authority; it takes a direct object.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to follow a rule, a law, or a set of instructions.
to act in accordance with a law, principle, or physical force.
Simple“Drivers must obey the speed limit to keep the roads safe.”
In context“Even the most complex machines must obey the fundamental laws of physics to function efficiently.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to do what you are told without naming the person or rule.
to behave in an obedient manner. Intransitive use where the authority is implied by context.
Simple“The children were taught from a young age that they must obey.”
In context“In a strict military environment, the primary requirement for a new recruit is the willingness to obey without question.”
“When it comes to cyclists and scooters, many were angry that they don’t seem to obey the road rules.”
From Middle English obeyen, from Anglo-Norman obeir, obeier et al., Old French obeir, from Latin oboediō (also obēdiō (“to listen to, harken, usually in extended sense, obey, be subject to, serve”)), from ob- (“before, near”) + audiō (“to hear”). Compare audient. In Latin, ob + audire would have been expected to become Classical Latin *obūdiō (compare in + claudō becoming inclūdō), but it has been theorized that the usual law court associations of the word for obeying encouraged a false archaism from ū to oe, to oboediō (compare Old Latin oinos → Classical Latin ūnus).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.