Law abiding citizen

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iamtime

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Hi,

what does it mean by 'a law abiding citizen'?

I looked up the definition for 'abiding',

describes a feeling or memory that you have for a long time

but I still don't understand what 'a law abiding citizen' means.

Thanks.
 

mafto

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It means a citizen that obeys the law.

According to Oxford English Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 'abide by sth' means to accept something and act according to it. E.g. 'We will abide by their decision' - We will act according to their decision.
 

susiedqq

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It means a person who has history of following the law.

It is used to describe a good citizen and is often used in court when someone wants to say that he/she has not been in trouble before.
 

Rover_KE

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It's usually hyphenated:

law-abiding

▶adjective
obeying the laws of society.
(WordReference dictionary)

Rover
 
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