law-abiding
adjective
law-abid·ing
ˈlȯ-ə-ˌbī-diŋ 
: abiding by or obedient to the law
law-abiding citizens
law-abidingness
noun
Examples of law-abiding in a Sentence
the law-abiding citizens of the neighborhood did everything they could to help reduce street crime
Recent Examples on the Web
The future of such bills is also uncertain in the Senate with a one-seat DFL majority; a few Democrats, in addition to Republicans, have in the past expressed concern about some of the measures and their impact on law-abiding gun owners.
—
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
According to Jefferson County Circuit Court records, Soto-Pantoja is part of a pretrial diversion program that allows for a criminal case to be expunged after five years of law-abiding behavior, including paying fees and passing drug tests, Mascagni said.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2026
Any good, law-abiding citizens would know better than to put themselves in harm’s way.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
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Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
According to Jefferson County Circuit Court records, Soto-Pantoja is part of a pretrial diversion program that allows for a criminal case to be expunged after five years of law-abiding behavior, including paying fees and passing drug tests, Mascagni said.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2026
Any good, law-abiding citizens would know better than to put themselves in harm’s way.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
Cite this Entry
“Law-abiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/law-abiding. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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