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
Tomorrow, a different administration may try to seize firearms from law-abiding citizens or prevent people of certain faiths from gathering to worship.
—
Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Texas Republicans emphasize that law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms and defend themselves under the Constitution.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The conflict between the two factions is playing out in real time as workers fear for their jobs and relatives while business leaders—many of whom believed that promised ICE raids would focus on criminals and gang members rather than law-abiding workers—watch their revenue streams go up in smoke.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 22 June 2025
What seems to be happening, though, is ICE is picking up law-abiding migrants who have families, have fled the dangers of their country of origin and are leading productive lives.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Texas Republicans emphasize that law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms and defend themselves under the Constitution.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The conflict between the two factions is playing out in real time as workers fear for their jobs and relatives while business leaders—many of whom believed that promised ICE raids would focus on criminals and gang members rather than law-abiding workers—watch their revenue streams go up in smoke.
—Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 22 June 2025
What seems to be happening, though, is ICE is picking up law-abiding migrants who have families, have fled the dangers of their country of origin and are leading productive lives.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for law-abiding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for law-abiding
obedient
Adjective
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The scale asks whether a respondent tends to prefer children who are obedient, well behaved and well mannered or children who are independent, creative and considerate.—
Adam Eichen,
The Conversation,
11 June 2025
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Those who tend to favor obedient children are scored as having more authoritarian views.—
Adam Eichen,
The Conversation,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Law-abiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/law-abiding. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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