law-abiding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- law-abidingness noun
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.
It was “free money” for law-abiding, tax-paying U.S. citizens.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
“Full participation in commerce and public life necessarily requires that law-abiding individuals can access, and freely participate in, our financial system,” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
They are hard-working, law-abiding members of their communities, and many are U.S. citizens.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026
“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the NRA retorted, to Essayli.
From Slate • Jan. 28, 2026
Any law-abiding citizen would have been happy to see them.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
