The modern abide meaning depends on the words around it: to abide by a rule is to accept and follow it, and if you cannot abide something, you cannot stand it. A player who abides by the referee's decision accepts it; a person who cannot abide loud chewing finds it unbearable.
There is also an older sense, still alive in religious and literary writing: to abide is to stay, remain or live somewhere. That is the sense you meet in many Bible translations.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Follow (abide by); tolerate (can't abide); remain or dwell (older use)Part of speech
VerbPronunciation
uh-BYDE, rhymes with "inside"Past tense
abided (common today) or abode (older)Related words
abiding (lasting), law-abiding, abode (a home), abidanceOrigin
Old English abidan, to remain, waitRegister
Formal in "abide by"; old-fashioned in "abide in"
Abide meaning: the three senses
- Abide by: to obey or accept. Used for rules, laws, decisions, agreements and results. "Both sides agreed to abide by the court's ruling."
- Can't abide: to tolerate. Almost always in the negative, with can't, cannot or couldn't. "My grandfather can't abide waste."
- To remain, last or dwell. Older and more poetic. "Her kindness will abide in our memories."
If you have to define abide for a class, give all three. A complete abide definition includes each one, and so should any definition of abide you write for a test. So what does abide mean in a sentence you are reading? Look for by (follow), a negative (tolerate), or in, with and places (stay).
Sentences that show each use
- Everyone who joins the society must abide by its rules on noise after ten.
- She could not abide people who talked during the film screening at the community hall.
- Students who abide by the honor code can take the test home.
- Through every move, one friendship abided.
- The family has abided in the same village for generations.
Abide meaning in the Bible
In older English Bible translations, abide usually means to remain, stay or live, often in a spiritual sense of staying close to God. In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, Jesus uses the picture of a vine and its branches and calls followers to abide in him, meaning to stay connected and keep trusting, as a branch draws life from the vine. Other passages use it for faith, hope and love that last, or for living under God's protection.
Many modern translations replace abide with words like remain, stay or live. Christians often use "abiding in Christ" for a steady, daily relationship of faith. Readers from other traditions may meet the word in older religious texts in its plain sense of dwelling. More faith vocabulary is in faith and belief, including covenant and grace.
Abode, abided and other forms
The traditional past tense was abode, but today abided is far more common, especially with by: "They abided by the agreement." Abode survives mostly as a noun meaning home: "Welcome to my humble abode."
The adjective abiding means long-lasting: an abiding love of music, an abiding interest in history. Law-abiding describes people who obey the law. For following rules in a business setting, the related idea is compliance.
Where the word came from
Abide goes back to Old English abidan, to remain, wait or wait for. It was built from a prefix and bidan, to stay, which also gives the verb bide, now mostly heard in "bide your time." The sense of enduring or tolerating, usually with a negative, appears around 1200, and "abide with" for staying with someone around 1300. The everyday phrase abide by, for following a rule, is the sense most learners need today.
Mistakes and confusions
| Avoid | Say instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| abide to the rules | abide by the rules | The fixed pairing is abide by |
| I can abide noise | I can't abide noise | The tolerate sense is used in the negative |
| He abode by it | He abided by it | Abode sounds old with by |
Close words include obey, follow, respect and comply with for the first sense; stand, bear and tolerate for the second. You will find further useful verbs among the everyday vocabulary words.
Frequently asked questions
Can you explain abide simply?
Abide means to follow or accept something, such as a rule (abide by), or to put up with something, usually in the negative (can't abide). In older use it means to stay or live.
What does abide by mean?
To abide by something is to obey it or accept it, like a law, a promise, a contract or a decision. "Players must abide by the referee's call."
What does abide mean in the Bible?
In most older translations it means to remain or dwell. In John 15, abiding in Christ means staying spiritually connected to him, like a branch staying joined to a vine.
Abided or abode: which past tense is right?
Abided is the usual modern form. Abode is an older past tense that now sounds literary.
What does "I can't abide it" mean?
It means "I can't stand it" or "I really dislike it." The phrase is a little old-fashioned but still heard often in Britain and India.
What does abiding mean?
As an adjective, abiding means lasting for a long time and not changing, as in an abiding friendship or an abiding faith.