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
And hundreds of thousands of law-abiding noncitizens will remain protected from deportation in the meantime.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026
This “will expose a lot of law-breakers that are harming Floridians, harming law-abiding people who want to get into the workforce,” House sponsor Berny Jacques said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
"It's a chance for hard-working, law-abiding people, taxpaying people from this seat to have their say on Keir Starmer and to make political history," he said.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026
“Shouldn’t we wait at least a week? Let’s establish ourselves as law-abiding lodgers first.”
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
