observance

noun

əb-ˈzər-vən(t)s How to pronounce observance (audio)
Definition of observancenext
1
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law the observance of this family tradition would make your grandmother very happy observance of the smoking ban in public buildings

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules some religions require very specific observances on holy days

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in awareness
a state of being aware if you've been doing any significant housecleaning, it has escaped my observance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of observance His two sons attended New York public schools, but Spade says their formal observance of the attacks seldom extended beyond a moment of silence. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Winnetka organized a local flag display and additional community-wide observances. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Theirs is not a once-a-year public observance, but a private daily reckoning that cannot be understood by anyone who hasn’t experienced it. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Normal operations will resume immediately after the observance. — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for observance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observance
  1. adherence
  2. ritual
  3. awareness
  4. compliance
  5. ceremony
  6. attention
  7. observation
  8. rite
Noun
  • The humidity-resistant, child-resistant container can be composted or recycled, reducing plastic use by up to 71%; pharmacies can also brand the tube or print adherence instructions directly on it.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Morning sessions align with the body’s natural cortisol peak, and people who exercise early tend to finish before the day’s demands get in the way, which tends to help adherence.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of adherence
Noun
  • Other amenities include a Wellbeing by Auberge program, complete with thermal rituals, skin therapies, and more luxe treatments rooted in a holistic approach to health and longevity.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Estes said the aqueduct's water was used for both practical and religious purposes, including cleaning up after sacrifices and performing purification rituals at the Temple Mount.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • The overt awareness of a ticking clock allows the smallest details to rise to the top.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Morales, who has spoken publicly about her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of awareness, joins a lineup of leading experts, advocates and innovators for the one-day event.
    — THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of awareness
Noun
  • To assure further compliance, Section 5 of the act required those states to get approval from the Justice Department or a court before making any changes to their electoral systems.
    — Jeffrey Toobin, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The agreement lasts for three years but could be cut short or extended depending on whether the parties mutually determine the city and Police Department have reached compliance.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of compliance
Noun
  • The awards were handed out tonight at an imposing ceremony at Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Odeon cinema.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Postwar Hiroshima was a popular setting for these movie gangsters, who fought dirty, had no use for the old ceremonies, and wore flashy suits and aviator shades.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ceremony
Noun
  • Amalia Ulman’s 2025 film Magic Farm, about an American team’s desperation to manufacture a viral trend in rural Argentina, is minor cringe for its pleasurable skewering of the attention economy.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • No one was standing over my shoulder telling me to pay it special attention, but I was mesmerized.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of attention
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of observation
Noun
  • At that time, the Catholic Church banned funeral rites and burial on consecrated grounds for those who died by suicide.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Cremation is an important final rite in the Hindu tradition and performing the ceremony even without a body provides a sense of spiritual release for some families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of rite

Browse Nearby Words

observable
observance
observances
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Cite this Entry

“Observance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observance. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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