law

law
law [lô]
n.
[ME lawe < OE lagu < Anglo-Norm * lagu, akin to ON lǫg, pl. of lag, something laid down or settled < IE base * legh-, to lie down > LIE1]
1.
a) all the rules of conduct established and enforced by the authority, legislation, or custom of a given community, state, or other group
b) any one of such rules
2. the condition existing when obedience to such rules is general [to establish law and order]
3. the branch of knowledge dealing with such rules; jurisprudence
4. the system of courts in which such rules are referred to in defending one's rights, securing justice, etc. [to resort to law to settle a matter]
5. all such rules having to do with a particular sphere of human activity [business law]
6. common law, as distinguished from equity
7. the profession of lawyers, judges, etc.: often with the
8.
a) a sequence of events in nature or in human activities that has been observed to occur with unvarying uniformity under the same conditions: often law of nature
b) the formulation in words of such a sequence [the law of gravitation, the law of diminishing returns]
9. any rule or principle expected to be observed [the laws of health, a law of grammar]
10. inherent tendency; instinct [the law of self-preservation]
11. Eccles.
a) a divine commandment
b) all divine commandments collectively
12. Math., Logic, etc.Math. Logic etc. a general principle to which all applicable cases must conform [the laws of exponents]
13. Sports Brit. an allowance in distance or time as in a race; handicap
vi., vt.
[Informal or Dial.] to take legal action (against)
SYN.- THEORY
——————
go to law
to take a problem or dispute to a law court for settlement
——————
lay down the law
1. to give explicit orders in an authoritative manner
2. to give a scolding (to)
——————
read law
to study to become a lawyer
——————
the Law or the law
1. the Mosaic law, or the part of the Jewish Scriptures containing it; specif., the Pentateuch
☆ 2. [the l-] Informal a policeman or the police
SYN.- LAW, in its specific application, implies prescription and enforcement by a ruling authority [the law of the land ]; a RULE may not be authoritatively enforced, but it is generally observed in the interests of order, uniformity, etc. [the rules of golf ]; REGULATION refers to a rule of a group or organization, enforced by authority [military regulations]; a STATUTE is a law enacted by a legislative body; an ORDINANCE is a local, generally municipal, law; a CANON1 is, strictly, a law of a church, but the term is also used of any rule or principle regarded as true or in conformity with good usage [the canons of taste ]

English World dictionary. . 2014.

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Synonyms:
(prescribed by authority), , , , , , , , , / , , / , / , , / , / , , / , , , (of the invariable sequence of events or forms) / (of any natural force under the same conditions), , ,


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

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