abiding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- abidingly adverb
- abidingness noun
- nonabiding adjective
- nonabidingly adverb
- nonabidingness noun
- unabiding adjective
- unabidingly adverb
- unabidingness noun
Etymology
Origin of abiding
Explanation
Something abiding sticks around, lasting a long time. Abiding is usually used with feelings and memories — as in your abiding love for Elmo. Abiding comes from the Old English abidan, gebidan meaning "remain, wait, delay, remain behind." It's a word that's typically used to describe a feeling or memory that remains behind or lingers in your mind a while. You can have an abiding faith in God, or an abiding respect for war veterans or an abiding passion. "Law-abiding citizens" are those people who stick strictly to the law. They always use the crosswalk and pay their taxes on time.
Vocabulary lists containing abiding
The Things They Carried
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Black Boy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Twelve Years a Slave
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
That is, living in your home and abiding by your rules, and going to college with your financial help.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
The commission said the EU is still abiding by the accord and expected the United States to show the same commitment.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Clinton banged her fist on the table and said, "it doesn't matter. We are all abiding by the same rules".
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
What Mr. Smith calls “the hard and abiding work” is “to listen to everything, including—especially—everything in you that you would rather ignore.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Already, he had formed a deep and abiding hatred for Lolly.
From "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
