Abide By – Meaning and Examples

When you drive, you must follow the traffic laws. You must abide by them. This common idiom means to accept and follow a rule, decision, or agreement. Learning abide by will help you talk about obedience and respect for rules in formal situations.

What Does “Abide By” Mean?

“Abide by” means to act according to a rule, promise, or decision. It shows that you accept something and will follow it.

Think of it like this: Players in a game must abide by the rules for the game to be fair. If they don’t, there is chaos.

Remember, it is a formal phrase. It is often used for laws, contracts, and official decisions.

When to Use It

You will use this idiom in serious and official contexts.

Laws and Rules: “All citizens must abide by the law.”
Agreements: “Both companies agreed to abide by the contract.”
Decisions: “I don’t like the judge’s ruling, but I will abide by it.”

The tone is formal and serious. It is common in legal, professional, and official language.

Example Sentences

You must abide by the school’s code of conduct.
We expect everyone to abide by the deadline.
She promised to abide by the committee’s final decision.
Failure to abide by the safety regulations will result in a fine.

Mini Dialogue

Manager: “This new policy is effective immediately. Everyone must abide by it.”

Employee: “I understand. We will abide by the new rules.”

Manager: “Good. It’s important that we all abide by the same standards.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The main mistake is using the wrong preposition. The correct phrase is “abide BY,” not “abide with” or “abide to.”

❌ Don’t say: “We must abide to the rules.”

✅ Do say: “We must abide by the rules.”

Practice Tip

Think of a rule you follow every day, like a work policy or a household rule. Say to yourself, “I abide by this rule.” This helps you remember the formal structure.

Final Note

This is an important phrase for formal communication. It shows that you are responsible and respect agreements. Use it in writing and serious discussions to sound professional and respectful.

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