law
- law
-
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lagu, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫg law; akin to Old English licgan to lie — more at lie
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) a binding custom or practice of a community ; a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority
(2) the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules
(3) common law
b.
(1) the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law
(2) the action of laws considered as a means of redressing wrongs; also litigation
(3) the agency of or an agent of established law
c. a rule or order that it is advisable or obligatory to observe
d. something compatible with or enforceable by established law
e. control, authority
2.
a. often capitalized the revelation of the will of God set forth in the Old Testament
b. capitalized the first part of the Jewish scriptures ; Pentateuch, Torah — see bible table
3. a rule of construction or procedure <
the laws of poetry
>
4. the whole body of laws relating to one subject
5.
a. the legal profession
b. law as a department of knowledge ; jurisprudence
c. legal knowledge
6.
a. a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions
b. a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions
Synonyms:
law, rule, regulation, precept, statute, ordinance, canon mean a principle governing action or procedure. law implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the obligation of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority <obey the law
>. rule applies to more restricted or specific situations <the rules of the game
>. regulation implies prescription by authority in order to control an organization or system <regulations affecting nuclear power plants
>. precept commonly suggests something advisory and not obligatory communicated typically through teaching <the precepts of effective writing
>. statute implies a law enacted by a legislative body <a statute requiring the use of seat belts
>. ordinance applies to an order governing some detail of procedure or conduct enforced by a limited authority such as a municipality <a city ordinance
>. canon suggests in nonreligious use a principle or rule of behavior or procedure commonly accepted as a valid guide <the canons of good taste
>.
Synonym: see in addition hypothesis.
II. verb
Date: circa 1550
intransitive verb
litigate
transitive verb
chiefly dialect to sue or prosecute at law
New Collegiate Dictionary.
2001.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
law — / lȯ/ n [Old English lagu, of Scandinavian origin] 1: a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority: as a: a command or provision enacted by a legislature see also statute 1 b:… … Law dictionary
law, at — adj. Pertaining to law; related to the law or the legal profession. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008 … Law dictionary
law of the case — law of the case: a doctrine in legal procedure: an issue esp. of law that has been decided (as by an appeals court) will not be reconsidered in the same case unless compelling circumstances warrant such reconsideration; also: a matter of law… … Law dictionary
law review — n often cap L&R: a periodical (as one published by a law school or bar association) containing notes and articles analyzing and evaluating subject areas and developments in the law Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. law… … Law dictionary
law of the land — 1: the established law of a nation or region 2: due process Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 … Law dictionary
Law Commission — a body established by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to examine the law with a view to its systematic development and reform, including the codification of law, the elimination of anomalies, the repeal of obsolete and unnecessary enactments, and… … Law dictionary
law merchant — n: the commercial rules developed under English common law that influenced modern commercial law and that are referred to as supplementing rules set down in the Uniform Commercial Code and in state codes Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law.… … Law dictionary
Law of the Sea — often cap L&S: a body of international law promulgated by United Nations convention and covering a range of ocean matters including territorial zones, access to and transit on the sea, environmental preservation, and the resolution of… … Law dictionary
law clerk — n: one (as a law school graduate) who provides a judge, magistrate, or lawyer with assistance in such matters as research and analysis Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. law clerk … Law dictionary
law of admiralty — See: maritime law Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits Nolo’s Plain English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009. law of admiralty … Law dictionary
Law Reports — the publications in which the decisions of the courts are recorded. It should, however, be appreciated that in the UK and in many other jurisdictions these are private publications rather than state operated. The publisher makes the reports more… … Law dictionary
