Abiding

How to spell abiding

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce abiding

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does abiding mean?

1. adjectiveLasting for a long time; enduring and not fading.
2. verbPresent participle of abide: continuing to act in accordance with a rule, decision, or agreement.

Abiding in a sentence

• adjective

  She has an abiding love of the sea that began in childhood.

• verb

  The firm is abiding by the new safety regulations without complaint.

• adjective

  His abiding interest in local history shaped his whole career.

• verb

  Everyone in the building is abiding by the overnight curfew.

Where does abiding come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grows from the Old English verb 'abidan', which meant 'to wait for', 'to remain', or 'to endure'. It was built from the prefix 'a-', an old continuative element that added a sense of staying or persisting, joined to 'bidan', the ancestor of the modern verb 'bide' as in 'bide your time'. Both pieces are firmly Germanic, sharing roots with related words in Old Saxon and Gothic. Over the centuries the plain idea of 'remaining in place' broadened into the figurative sense of feelings or qualities that stay with a person and do not fade, which is why an 'abiding' loyalty or interest is one that lasts. The single 'b' in the spelling reflects that older 'bidan' root, so there is no doubled consonant to worry about despite the way the word sounds.

How the word is built

• a- (Old English intensive/continuative prefix)
• bide (to wait, remain)
• -ing (forming adjective/participle)