noun. The act or practice of observing or complying with a law, custom, command, or rule.

noun. The act or custom of keeping or celebrating a holiday or other ritual occasion.

noun. A customary rite or ceremony.

noun. The act of watching; observation.

noun. The rule governing a religious order.

noun. Attention; perception; heed; observation.

noun. Respectful regard or attention; hence, reverence; homage.

noun. The act of observing, paying attention to, or following in practice; compliance in practice with the requirements of some law, custom, rule, or injunction; due performance: as, the observance of the sabbath; observance of stipulations; observance of prescribed forms.

noun. A custom, rule, or thing to be observed, followed, or kept.

noun. A rite or ceremony; an act performed in token of worship, devotion, or respect.

noun. Synonyms Observance, Observation. These words start from two different senses of the same root — to pay regard to, and to watch. Observation is watching or notice; observance is keeping, conforming to, or complying with. Observation was formerly used in the sense of observance: as, “the observation of the Sabbath is again commanded” (caption to Ex. xxxi.); “the opinions which he [Milton] has expressed respecting … the observation of the Sabbath might, we think, have caused more just surprise” (Macaulay, Milton); but this use is now obsolescent. It is desirable that the words should be kept distinct.

noun. Form, Rite, etc. See ceremony.

noun. The act or practice of observing or noticing with attention; a heeding or keeping with care; performance; -- usually with a sense of strictness and fidelity

noun. An act, ceremony, or rite, as of worship or respect; especially, a customary act or service of attention; a form; a practice; a rite; a custom.

noun. Servile attention; sycophancy.

noun. The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule

noun. The custom of celebrating a holiday or similar occasion

noun. Observation or the act of watching

noun. A rule governing a religious order, especially in the Roman Catholic church

noun. the act of noticing or paying attention

noun. conformity with law or custom or practice etc.

noun. a formal event performed on a special occasion

noun. the act of observing; taking a patient look

"Targeting civilians IS a war crime – if you want to try them – military commissions with rules set by Congress, not the Supremes or in observance of the Constitution."

attention  ceremony  form  

courtesy  deference  devotion  discipline  etiquette  

accommodation  accord  accordance  acquiescence  adaptation