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# observance

noun (observance, observances)

«observance» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Following or obeying a law, rule or custom: «observance of the rules». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#m1)
2. (church, religion) Keeping a religious day or practice, such as resting on the Sabbath or fasting in Ramadan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#m2)
3. A ceremony or ritual held to mark a special day: «religious observances». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#m3)

### In the lessons

In religion lessons observance describes how believers keep holy days and customs: Jewish observance of the Sabbath, Muslim observance of Ramadan, Christian observance of Lent. In formal writing «strict observance» means following rules exactly. Phrases: «religious observance», «strict observance», «observance of the Sabbath».

### Examples

- Observance of the Sabbath means resting on that day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x1)
- Her family's religious observance includes daily prayer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x2)
- The school closed in observance of the holiday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x3)
- Strict observance of the rules kept everyone safe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x4)
- Fasting is an important observance in Ramadan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x5)
- Different churches have different observances in Lent. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x6)
- Many of these fables are characterized by the strictest observance of these rules. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/#x7)

### Note

Formal word. Countable for single customs, uncountable for the idea. Verb: observe (sense «keep, follow»). Trap: observance is not «observation» (watching carefully); a scientist makes observations, a believer keeps observances.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «observance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/observance/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«observance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/observance.html) on Mova free.