Let’s have a look at the verb TO ABIDE and its phrasal verb form with the particle BY, so ABIDE vs ABIDE BY. The verb TO ABIDE /əˈbaɪd/ is a regular verb, so the past tense and past participle form is ABIDED, although sometimes also the irregular past form ABODE is used.
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The verb TO ABIDE means to tolerate, to bear patiently. It’s usually used in negative form:
I can’t abide her behavior.
More commonly you would use the verb TO STAND or TO TOLERATE instead:
I can’t stand her behavior.
I can’t tolerate her behavior.
ABIDE may also mean to wait for, to await. It’s not used in colloquial language very often:
I will abide the return of my father.
The verb TO ABIDE can be often found in old-fashioned or literary language. It then means to stay or live somewhere or to remain or continue:
At the end of time we will all abide in the house of the Lord.
This friendship abided till his death.
And now let’s move on to the right side of our ABIDE vs ABIDE BY topic. The verb TO ABIDE BY means to accept and be guided by sth, to obey sth:
He always abided by the law.
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand all those rules, let alone abide by them.
If someone abides by the law, we call that person a law-abiding citizen.
Another meaning of TO ABIDE BY is to accept without objection:
He said he would abide by your decision.