abiding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
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Black Boy
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Twelve Years a Slave
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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.
Instead of abiding by existing trading hours for traditional derivatives exchanges, perpetual contracts trade 24 hours, seven days a week, with cash settlement occurring at regular intervals.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
“Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind,” read the opening sentence of the Easter email.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
The abiding memory of Ramsey will not be the frustrating final chapter of his career but the body of work that came before it.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
“It is unacceptable and illegal for a business to sell or dispose of these vehicles without abiding by the laws that protect servicemembers.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
When there’s a baby in the house, time stretches and contracts, abiding by none of the regular rules.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
