abide by
accept and follow a rule, law, decision, or agreement
What does "abide by sth" mean?
Examples
- All members are expected to abide by the club's code of conduct.
- The company abided by every clause in the contract despite the financial pressure.
- If you refuse to abide by the court's ruling, you could face serious legal consequences.
How to use it
The most common pattern — use with an abstract noun referring to a rule, law, ruling, or agreement that someone commits to following.
All contractors are expected to abide by the terms of the agreement before work begins.
Modal verbs are very natural partners, often expressing obligation, expectation, or commitment.
Member states must abide by international law, regardless of domestic political pressure.
This pattern shows that abide by frequently follows verbs of commitment or refusal, highlighting the voluntary nature of the acceptance.
The athlete refused to abide by the new doping regulations and was subsequently banned from competition.
When the rule or decision has already been mentioned, a pronoun can replace it — the pronoun always follows 'by' directly.
The guidelines were established years ago, and all staff are expected to abide by them.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Abide by only takes abstract nouns such as rules, laws, decisions, or agreements as its object — never a person. Learners sometimes mistakenly treat it like 'listen to' or 'obey'.
Abide by describes an ongoing state of commitment rather than an action in progress, so the continuous form sounds unnatural. Use the simple present or a modal construction instead.
'Comply with' often refers to a single, sometimes externally enforced act of conformance, whereas 'abide by' emphasises voluntary acceptance and sustained commitment. They are close but not always interchangeable.
Usage
This phrasal verb is formal and is most common in legal, political, and official contexts. In everyday conversation, native speakers prefer 'follow the rules' or 'stick to the agreement' instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'abide by' be used in the passive, like 'the rules were abided by'?
No — this construction sounds highly unnatural in English. Because 'abide by' requires an active agent making a conscious choice to follow something, it doesn't work in the passive. If you need a passive construction, use 'must be followed' or 'must be complied with' instead.
Is 'abide by' too formal for professional emails or business writing?
Not at all — it sits comfortably in formal professional writing, including contracts, business correspondence, and policy documents. It would, however, sound out of place in casual conversation or informal emails, where 'stick to' or 'follow' would be more natural.
Does 'abide by' always involve rules and laws, or can it be used more broadly?
It is almost exclusively used with abstract nouns in the domain of rules, laws, decisions, verdicts, agreements, or codes of conduct. You wouldn't use it with concrete objects or with general plans. If you're not talking about something with a formal, binding, or authoritative quality, 'abide by' is probably the wrong choice.
I've seen 'can't abide' used without 'by' — is that the same verb?
No, these are different uses. 'Can't abide' (without 'by') is a fixed expression meaning to strongly dislike something, as in 'She can't abide dishonesty.' The presence of 'by' followed by a rule or decision is what signals the meaning of acceptance and commitment. Context and structure make them easy to distinguish.
What kinds of subjects typically go with 'abide by'?
The subject is always an agent capable of making a conscious decision — a person, a company, an organisation, or a country. You would not use 'abide by' with an inanimate subject. Typical examples include a defendant abiding by a court ruling, a company abiding by a contract, or a nation abiding by a treaty.
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