verb
disobey
dihs-uh-BAY
verb
1
To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule.
"The soldier was court-martialed for disobeying a direct order."
How to Use Disobey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo knowingly break a rule or ignore an instruction.
Common pairings
disobey orders
disobey the law
Word Forms
disobeyed past tense, disobeys singular
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The soldier was court-martialed for _____ a direct order.
Etymology
From Old French desobeir, from dis- + obey.