1The practice of observing the requirements of law, morality, or ritual.

对规则的严格遵守。

宗教仪式的衰落。

1. 1.1usually observancescount noun An act performed for religious or ceremonial reasons.
   仪礼；（宗教）仪式
   official anniversary observances

   官方的周年纪念仪式。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Burial practices vary by religious group, but for the most part funeral and burial observances are the responsibility of the deceased's family.
   • Over a time period, pagan festivals replaced biblical feasts of Old Testament and the observances of Christmas and Easter became a part of Christian tradition.
   • While Roman Catholics marched for their saviour, as part of Corpus Christi observances, other residents had a march of their own.
   • The one and only issue for the Church in all the observances of the ceremonial laws of Moses is that they not be regarded as binding.
   • Firstly he was telling me stories, Bible stories, he was teaching me observances and not just teaching, but we were performing those observances.
   • Sufis have occasionally dispensed with the traditional observances of Islam, such as the haj to Mecca, although most have observed the customary rules.
   • Many religions go through ceremonies or observances of rituals to become pure or to be healed.
   • He repudiated all formal observances of Jewish tradition, however, immersing himself instead in the study of the Greek and Roman classics, which he would later teach in an elite Viennese high school.
   • One of the reasons for increasing participation in many of these observances could be the shrinkage in the amount of time that families spend together in these days of nuclear families and working parents.
   • This gave the clergy an excuse to abolish them and replace them with purely Christian observances.
   • They are disappointed that they cannot encourage their adult children and grandchildren to get involved, except possibly for special observances, such as Christmas.
   • It is encouraging to know that the Scottish spokesman of the Muslim Association of Great Britain supports religious observances, Christian or otherwise.
   • I do not watch or take part in any official observances.
   • Hot cross buns are thought to have cemented their link with Christian observances in the late 14th century at an abbey in England.
   • Most people could name only a few of the Pimbwe gods, clan observances, or customary procedures.
   • The essence of religion, the philosopher William James argued, lies not in the rites and observances of ecclesiastical life, but in the ‘feelings, acts and experiences of individual men’.
   • Had this decision of the Commissioner's been part of a policy decision about religious observances in the Police Service, in which all religious practices were being considered, and removed, no one could quarrel.
   • Lamas (religious leaders) skilled in rituals perform the necessary religious observances.
   • Guyanese American cultural traditions have been preserved by the religious observances of weddings, baptisms, and funerals.
   • Each culture has specific mourning rites and observances that are integrated with Christian beliefs and rituals.

   Synonyms

   ceremony, rite, ceremonial
2. 1.2count noun A rule to be followed by a religious order.
   教规，教会会规
   he drew up a body of monastic observances

   他起草了一套修会会规。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Although not religious, Ilan felt compelled to keep some significant religious observances in space to fulfill his dream of uniting the Jewish people and representing our nation.
   • Paul also showed the folly of hoping to find some saving power in religious observances.
   • One of the saddest casualties of that process was the effective abolition of the Church's ancient observances of fasting and abstinence.
   • The prayer in its present form is not in substance a religious observance, coercive or otherwise and it does not impose any burden on the applicant or any restriction on his exercise of his own beliefs.
   • The influence of royal wives on their husbands' religious observances suggests the power that women exercised, even within the context of arranged political marriages.
   • Embrace religious vows, rules and observances and never waver in fulfilling them.
   • What did Woodsmall think about this denial of basic human rights on the basis of religious observances?
   • Fullness of life is found in a faithful observance of religious rituals.
   • This does not mean we should reject the specificity of our traditions, our religious texts, holidays, observances or prayers.
   • This provides for all religious observances including fasting and Hajj to occur in all seasons during a person's life.
   • As long as an accessory is being used for a religious observance, it may not be used for any other purpose, out of respect for God's commandments.
   • Particular emphasis is placed on not recognizing the holy days or national observances of the infidels.
   • Why were the prayers, sacrifices and observances of these ancient Israelites not pleasing to God?
   • Jesus lived under the Mosaic Law, with its rich layers of observances and rules.
   • The frugal virtues of Buddhism and Jainism were rejected and followers were encouraged to reject all religious observances and make the most of life's pleasures!
   • Nevertheless, during a period of religious persecution, most authorities agree that one should not abandon one's religious observances or studies out of fear of detection.
   • Do we pay close attention to our religious observances to the exclusion of the inner life of our hearts?
   • They had some institutions of religious observances, including public prayers and fasts.
   • Christianity firmly held that faith was supreme; that deeds enacted as religious observances were inimical to right faith and served to divert man from his ordained goals.
   • Reform has also given prominence to the moral commands over the ritual observances.

2The action of watching or noticing something.

那婴儿对我的静静注视。

3archaic Respect; deference.

那流浪汉对他们毫不尊敬。