Law-abiding
adj.thoughtful, resilientformal
What it means
Consistently acting within the requirements of the law.
Reach for it when describing conduct or a person whose compliance is relevant and established
Law-abiding shop owners kept the required records and treated inspections seriously.
Choose between these
6- everyday
peaceful, well-regulated conduct is visible
not when Orderly behavior may still occur under an unlawful arrangement.
- everyday
reliable civic behavior matters beyond technical legality
not when Responsible is a broader moral judgment and does not confirm legal compliance.
- professional
compliant
meeting a stated regulation or standard is the exact point
not when Compliant can mean obeying internal rules rather than public law.
- professional
a business or claim has valid standing
not when Legitimate does not mean every action taken by its owner follows the law.
- formal
a particular act or arrangement is legally permitted
not when Lawful normally describes the act, not a person's continuing pattern.
- literary
honorable character is the intended praise
not when Upright reaches beyond what the law alone can establish.
Said against
3- lawless
- criminal
- noncompliant
It naturally appears in
3- law-abiding citizen
A law-abiding citizen may still campaign strongly to change an unfair rule.
- law-abiding community
The law-abiding community worked openly with election monitors.
- generally law-abiding
The generally law-abiding driver corrected the registration oversight at once.