To obey means to do what someone in authority tells you to do, or to follow a rule or law. When you obey your parents, you listen to their instructions and follow through. When drivers obey traffic laws, they stop at red lights and follow the speed limit. When a dog obeys its owner's command to sit, it does what it's been trained to do.

Obeying can involve recognizing that some rules and some people's authority exist for good reasons. A pilot obeys air traffic control because those controllers have information about other planes the pilot can't see. A student obeys fire drill procedures because they're designed to keep everyone safe.

The opposite of obey is disobey. Sometimes disobedience is necessary, like when Rosa Parks disobeyed unjust segregation laws. A soccer player who obeys the rules can still play creatively and win. A scientist who obeys careful experimental procedures can still make groundbreaking discoveries.

When we talk about obedience, we mean the quality of being willing to obey. Someone who is obedient generally follows rules and instructions, while someone who is disobedient regularly refuses to do so.