To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
"The soldiers obeyed every order given by their commanding officer without hesitation."
In plain English: To obey means to do exactly what someone tells you to do without arguing.
"The children had to obey their parents when they came home late from school."
Usage: Use obey when someone follows rules or commands from an authority figure like a parent, teacher, or law enforcement officer. It implies active compliance with specific instructions rather than general agreement with ideas.
The word "obey" comes from the Latin oboediō, which literally means "to listen." It entered English via Old French and Anglo-Norman with this original sense of hearing or hearkening to a command.