adjective

obedient

uh-BEE-dee-unt/əˈbiːdiənt/

Willing to follow commands, rules, or authority.

The obedient child waits behind the curb at the guard's signal.

Child waits patiently behind curb with toes back while guard holds out open stop palm; visible red pedestrian signal functional icon, no traffic clutter.

Etymology

obLatinto, toward

+ediLatinhear, listen

+entLatinpresent-participle ending

The underlying image is “listening to” someone. Paying attention developed into heeding commands, so an obedient person does not merely hear authority but willingly follows it.

In context

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan51:16

He's well trained. He's extremely Yeah, he's very obedient, which is good and bad. Yeah, but that's obedient with excitement.

Cesar Millan VS Most Aggressive Dogs! | Dog Whisperer Marathon

More examples

The dog was obedient.
She expected obedient behavior.
The workers were obedient to the rules.

Forms

obedient

obedience noun — willingness to follow instructions

Similar words

compliant: Acts as required without necessarily willing respect for authority.
submissive: Yields to control more broadly.