1. The act or practice of following instructions, complying with rules or regulations, or submitting to someone's authority: Dogs can be taught obedience, but cats cannot be taught this because they certainly do what they want and whenever they want!
2. The religious authority exercised by a church, a priest, or another member of the clergy, or the people who are under this authority: Obedience requires conformity to a monastic rule or the authority of a religious superior, especially on the part of the one who has vowed such conformance.