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Synonyms

law-abiding

American  
[law-uh-bahy-ding] / ˈlɔ əˌbaɪ dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. obeying or keeping the law; obedient to law.

    law-abiding citizens.
law-abiding British  

adjective

  1. adhering more or less strictly to the laws

    a law-abiding citizen
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of law-abiding

First recorded in 1830–40

Vocabulary lists containing law-abiding

Vocabulary from the Eleventh Republican Debate March 3, 2016

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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 4

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Law abiding citizen ... it's LAC, coming at you loud and clear : London.

From The Guardian • Jun. 10, 2013

Law abiding on the whole, however, they have not experienced a wave of crime.

From A Century of Negro Migration by Woodson, Carter Godwin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.