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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Observance \Ob*serv"ance\, noun [F. observance, L. observantia. See {Observant}.]
1. 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; as, the observance of the Sabbath is general; the strict observance of duties.
It is a custom More honored in the breach than the observance. --Shak.
2. 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.
At dances These young folk kept their observances. --Chaucer.
Use all the observance of civility. --Shak.
Some represent to themselves the whole of religion as consisting in a few easy observances. --Rogers.
O I that wasted time to tend upon her, To compass her with sweet observances! --Tennyson.
3. Servile attention; sycophancy. [Obs.]
Salads and flesh, such as their haste could get, Served with observance. --Chapman.
This is not atheism, But court observance. --Beau. & Fl.
Syn: {Observance}, {Observation}. These words are discriminated by the two distinct senses of observe. To observe means (1) to keep strictly; as, to observe a fast day, and hence, observance denotes the keeping or heeding with strictness; (2) to consider attentively, or to remark; and hence, observation denotes either the act of observing, or some remark made as the result thereof. We do not say the observation of Sunday, though the word was formerly so used. The Pharisees were curious in external observances; the astronomers are curious in celestial observations.
Love rigid honesty, And strict observance of impartial laws. --Roscommon.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
observance
noun
1: the act of observing; taking a patient look [syn: {observation}, {watching}]
2: a formal event performed on a special occasion; "a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor" [syn: {ceremony}, {ceremonial}, {ceremonial occasion}]
3: the act of noticing or paying attention; "he escaped the notice of the police" [syn: {notice}, {observation}]
4: conformity with law or custom or practice etc. [syn: {honoring}] [ant: {nonobservance}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
247 Moby Thesaurus words for "observance": accommodation, accord, accordance, acquiescence, adaptation, adaption, adherence, adhering, adjustment, adoration, advertence, advertency, agreement, alertness, allegiance, anniversaries, assiduity, assiduousness, attention, attention span, attentiveness, awareness, baccalaureate service, bon ton, care, carrying out, celebrating, celebration, ceremonial, ceremony, churchgoing, cognizance, commemoration, commencement, completion, compliance, complying, concentration, conformance, conformation other-direction, conforming, conformity, congruity, consciousness, consideration, consistency, consuetude, convention, conventionality, convocation, correspondence, cultism, custodianship, custody, custom, devotedness, devotion, devoutness, diligence, discharge, dressing ship, duteousness, dutifulness, duty, eagle eye, ear, earnestness, effectuation, empty formality, enforcement, espial, espionage, established way, etiquette, examination, execution, exercise, exercises, faith, faithfulness, fanfare, fanfaronade, fashion, fealty, festivity, flexibility, flourish of trumpets, folkway, form, form of worship, formal, formality, formula, formulary, fulfillment, function, graduation, graduation exercises, guard, guardedness, guardianship, habit, harmony, heed, heedfulness, heeding, holiday, holy rite, homage, inaugural, inauguration, initiation, inspection, institution, intentiveness, intentness, invigilation, jubilee, keeping, line, liturgy, looking, lookout, love of God, loyalty, malleability, manner, manners, mark, marking the occasion, memorialization, memory, mind, mindfulness, mode of worship, monitoring, mores, mummery, mystery, note, notice, obedience, obediency, obeying, observation, observing, office, order of worship, ordinance, orthodoxy, ovation, peeled eye, performance, pietism, piety, piousness, pliancy, practice, praxis, prescribed form, prescription, proctoring, proper thing, prosecution, prudence, qui vive, recognition, reconcilement, reconciliation, regard, regardfulness, rejoicing, religion, religionism, religious ceremony, religious rites, religiousness, remark, remembrance, respect, respecting, revel, reverence, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, ritual, ritual observance, rituality, sacrament, sacramental, salute, salvo, scrutiny, service, servility, servitium, sharp eye, social convention, solemn observance, solemnity, solemnization, spying, standard behavior, standard usage, standing custom, stewardship, strictness, submission, submissiveness, suit and service, suit service, surveillance, testimonial, testimonial banquet, testimonial dinner, theism, thought, time-honored practice, toast, tradition, traditionalism, transaction, tribute, triumph, uniformity, usage, use, veneration, viewing, vigil, vigilance, wariness, watch, watch and ward, watchful eye, watchfulness, watching, way, weather eye, what is done, willingness, witnessing, wont, wonting, worship, worshipfulness
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