observance
/əbˈzɜːvəns/uhb-ZUR-vuhns
/əbˈzɝvəns/uhb-ZUR-vuhns
Meaningthe act of observing
Common meaning: keeping a rule or custom
Other meanings: a ceremony
- obtowards, against, in the way
- servto keep safe, watch overLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1682 · scan
- ancenoun ending: doing, or the condition that results
‘towards, against, in the way’ + ‘to keep safe, watch over’ → observance
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from observe + -ance.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), OBSERVE, p.399 · scan
Roots
- servō, servāre, servāvī, servātum Latin “to keep safe, watch over”
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