law
- law
- n.
1 a a rule enacted or customary in a community and recognized as enjoining or prohibiting certain actions and enforced by the imposition of penalties. b a body of such rules (the law of the land; forbidden under Scots law).
2 the controlling influence of laws; a state of respect for laws (law and order).
3 laws collectively as a social system or subject of study (was reading law).
4 (with defining word) any of the specific branches or applications of law (commercial law; law of contract).
5 binding force or effect (their word is law).
6 (prec. by the) a the legal profession. b colloq. the police.
7 the statute and common law (opp. EQUITY).
8 (in pl.) jurisprudence.
9 a the judicial remedy; litigation. b the lawcourts as providing this (go to law).
10 a rule of action or procedure, e.g. in a game, social context, form of art, etc.
11 a regularity in natural occurrences, esp. as formulated or propounded in particular instances (the laws of nature; the law of gravity; Parkinson's law).
12 a divine commandments as expressed in the Bible or other sources. b (Law of Moses) the precepts of the Pentateuch.
Phrases and idioms:
at (or in) law according to the laws. be a law unto oneself do what one feels is right; disregard custom. go to law take legal action; make use of the lawcourts. law-abiding obedient to the laws. law-abidingness obedience to the laws. law agent (in Scotland) a solicitor. law centre Brit. an independent publicly-funded advisory service on legal matters. Law Lord a member of the House of Lords qualified to perform its legal work. law of diminishing returns see DIMINISH. law of nature = natural law. laws of war the limitations on belligerents' action recognized by civilized nations. law term a period appointed for the sitting of lawcourts. lay down the law be dogmatic or authoritarian. take the law into one's own hands redress a grievance by one's own means, esp. by force.
Etymology: OE lagu f. ON lag something 'laid down' or fixed, rel. to LAY(1)
Useful english dictionary.
2012.
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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
