Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Owning allegiance and obedience to one of higher rank.
  • noun Same as obedienciary.
  • noun In a monastery or religious house, the holder of any office under the abbot or superior; also, one charged with any special duty or ‘obedience.’

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The holder of a monastic rank or office below that of superior.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Medieval Latin obedientiarius.

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Examples

  • They were at the end of routine business, and Cadfael's attention had wandered away from the details of the cellarer's accounts, since he himself had no function as an obedientiary, and was content to leave such matters to those who had.

    His Disposition 2010

  • You certainly can't lose by it, Anselm carries weight as an obedientiary, and he's well disposed to Elave already.

    The Heretic's Apprentice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1989

  • You certainly can't lose by it, Anselm carries weight as an obedientiary, and he's well disposed to Elave already.

    The Heretic's Apprentice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1989

  • Brother Anselm the precentor was there before him, already ensconced on a carved bench against the panelled wall, and it appeared that nothing of too disturbing a nature was towards, for abbot and obedientiary were provided with wine-cups, and the like was offered to Cadfael as soon as he had reported himself in response to the abbot's summons.

    The Rose Rent Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1986

  • You, Brother Prior and Brother Sub-Prior, as bearing the daily weight of the household and family, Brother Paul as master of the boys and novices, Brother Edmund as an obedientiary and a child of the cloister from infancy, to advise upon the one hand, and Brother Cadfael, as a conversus come to the life at a ripe age and after wide venturings, to speak his mind upon the other. '

    The Devil's Novice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1983

  • You, Brother Prior and Brother Sub-Prior, as bearing the daily weight of the household and family, Brother Paul as master of the boys and novices, Brother Edmund as an obedientiary and a child of the cloister from infancy, to advise upon the one hand, and Brother Cadfael, as a conversus come to the life at a ripe age and after wide venturings, to speak his mind upon the other. '

    The Devil's Novice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1983

  • The appellation of simple, or obedientiary prior (prior simplex or prior obedientiarius) is often applied to the superior of a monastic establishment which is a dependency of an abbey.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913

  • The Benedictines and their offshoots, the Premonstratensians, and the military orders distinguish between conventual and simple or obedientiary priories.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913

  • Their superior, who is subject to the abbot in everything, is called simple or obedientiary prior.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913

  • He is an obedientiary of the abbot, is appointed by him, and may be removed by him at any time.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913

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