abide by — to accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈbaɪd baɪ/
Example Sentences
- The referee warned both teams to abide by the fair play rules, or face yellow cards.
- My cat refuses to abide by household rules and continues to sleep on my laptop keyboard.
- Students must abide by the dress code, which unfortunately doesn't allow pajamas during online classes.
abide by
VERB[/əˈbaɪd baɪ/]
to accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)
Drivers abide by the traffic light even on an empty street at midnight.
The loyal dog continued to abide by its training and waited by the front door.
The guide reminded everyone to abide by the yellow safety line.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'abīdan', originally meaning 'to wait' or 'to remain'. The sense evolved over time to mean 'to endure' or 'to tolerate', and in modern usage, particularly in the phrasal form 'abide by', it means 'to comply with or adhere to rules'.
Breakdown
a- (intensive prefix) + bide (to remain, to wait). The prefix intensifies the root, which comes from Proto-Germanic 'bīdan' meaning 'to remain' or 'to dwell'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The referee warned both teams to abide by the fair play rules, or face yellow cards.”
“My cat refuses to abide by household rules and continues to sleep on my laptop keyboard.”
“Students must abide by the dress code, which unfortunately doesn't allow pajamas during online classes.”
“The company agreed to abide by environmental regulations to reduce carbon emissions.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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