obeisance
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\n \n Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2024 is:\n \n
\n \n\n obeisance • \\oh-BEE-sunss\\ • noun
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Obeisance is a synonym of homage that refers to an acknowledgement of another\u2019s importance or superiority. Obeisance can also mean \u201ca movement of the body (such as a bow) showing respect for someone or something.\u201d
\n\n// The young singer paid obeisance to Otis Redding while on tour in Memphis by singing \u201c(Sittin\u2019 on) The Dock of the Bay.\u201d
\n\n\n \n \n\n Examples:
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\u201cSupreme Court rules establish specific guidelines by which these conferences must be conducted. But compliance is rare, and they are usually held in secret and undocumented. The clandestine nature of 402 proceedings conflicts with the judiciary\u2019s general obeisance to concepts of transparency and public accountability in criminal cases.\u201d \u2014 Jim Dey, The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois), 3 Oct. 2023
\n \n \n\n Did you know?
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When it first appeared in English in the 14th century, obeisance shared the same meaning as obedience. This makes sense given that obeisance can be traced back to the Anglo-French word obeir, a verb meaning \u201cto obey\u201d that is also an ancestor of English\u2019s obey. The other senses of obeisance also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the \u201cobedience\u201d sense is now obsolete... or is it? Recent evidence suggests that obeisance is starting to be used again as an (often disparaging) synonym of obedience; for example, a politician deemed too easily swayed by others may be said to have pledged obeisance to party leaders or malign influences.
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