as in obedient
readily giving in to the command or authority of another
the law-abiding citizens of the neighborhood did everything they could to help reduce street crime
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Recent Examples of law-abiding
Any good, law-abiding citizens would know better than to put themselves in harm’s way.
—
Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
There are so many Somali Americans like me who are law-abiding, hardworking, and deeply invested in this country.
—Abdi Nor Iftin, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
In a joint statement, the Democratic leaders said Trump promised the American people that his deportation policy would focus on violent felons in the country illegally, but instead, ICE has targeted American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
There are so many Somali Americans like me who are law-abiding, hardworking, and deeply invested in this country.
—Abdi Nor Iftin, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
In a joint statement, the Democratic leaders said Trump promised the American people that his deportation policy would focus on violent felons in the country illegally, but instead, ICE has targeted American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for law-abiding
obedient
Adjective
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Tariffs could be 'hard sell' in election year How obedient will the congressional GOP be to Trump in an election year?—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2026
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The audience would do well to stay attuned to this goal — and how obedient Nat is willing to be.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Law-abiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/law-abiding. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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