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law

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The definition of law is a set of conduct rules established by an authority, custom or agreement.

(noun)

An example of law is don't drink and drive.

See law in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

1. all the rules of conduct established and enforced by the authority, legislation, or custom of a given community, state, or other group
2. any one of such rules
the condition existing when obedience to such rules is general: to establish law and order
the branch of knowledge dealing with such rules; jurisprudence
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
all such rules having to do with a particular sphere of human activity: business law
common law, as distinguished from equity
the profession of lawyers, judges, etc.: often with the
1. 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
2. the formulation in words of such a sequence: the law of gravitation, the law of diminishing returns
any rule or principle expected to be observed: the laws of health, a law of grammar
inherent tendency; instinct: the law of self-preservation
Eccles.
1. a divine commandment
2. all divine commandments collectively
Math., Logic, etc. a general principle to which all applicable cases must conform: the laws of exponents
Sports, Brit. an allowance in distance or time as in a race; handicap

Origin: 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 > lie

intransitive verb, transitive verb

Informal, Dialectal to take legal action (against)

See law in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority.
a. The body of rules and principles governing the affairs of a community and enforced by a political authority; a legal system: international law.
b. The condition of social order and justice created by adherence to such a system: a breakdown of law and civilized behavior.
A set of rules or principles dealing with a specific area of a legal system: tax law; criminal law.
A piece of enacted legislation.
a. The system of judicial administration giving effect to the laws of a community: All citizens are equal before the law.
b. Legal action or proceedings; litigation: submit a dispute to law.
c. An impromptu or extralegal system of justice substituted for established judicial procedure: frontier law.
a. An agency or agent responsible for enforcing the law. Often used with the: “The law . . . stormed out of the woods as the vessel was being relieved of her cargo” (Sid Moody).
b. Informal A police officer. Often used with the.
a. The science and study of law; jurisprudence.
b. Knowledge of law.
c. The profession of an attorney.
Something, such as an order or a dictum, having absolute or unquestioned authority: The commander's word was law.
Law
a. The body of principles or precepts held to express the divine will, especially as revealed in the Bible.
b. The first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures.
A code of principles based on morality, conscience, or nature.
a. A rule or custom generally established in a particular domain: the unwritten laws of good sportsmanship.
b. A way of life: the law of the jungle.
a. A statement describing a relationship observed to be invariable between or among phenomena for all cases in which the specified conditions are met: the law of gravity.
b. A generalization based on consistent experience or results: the law of supply and demand.
Mathematics A general principle or rule that is assumed or that has been proven to hold between expressions.
A principle of organization, procedure, or technique: the laws of grammar; the laws of visual perspective.

intransitive verb lawed, law·ing, laws

To go to law; litigate.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English lagu

Origin: , from Old Norse *lagu

Origin: , variant of lag, that which is laid down; see legh- in Indo-European roots

, (Andrew) Bonar 1858-1923.

Canadian-born British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1916-1918) and prime minister (1922-1923).

, John 1671-1729.

Scottish financier active in France, where he engaged in highly profitable speculation on the development of Louisiana. The investment scheme ultimately collapsed, and he fled the country in ruin (1720).

See law in Ologies

Law

See also crime; government

allograph

a signature of a proxy, one who is not party to the transaction at hand. —allographic, adj.

angary

the right of a nation at war to destroy the property of a neutral, subject to indemnification.

anomie, anomy, anomia

a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by an absence or breakdown of social and legal norms and values, as in the case of an uprooted people. —anomic, adj.

antinomy

a real or apparent contradiction in a statute. —antinomic, antinomian, adj.

antinomianism

the theological doctrine maintaining that Christians are freed from both moral and civil law by God’s gift of grace. —antinomian, antinomist, n.

asseveration

the solemn affirmation of the truth of a statement. —asseverator, n. —asseverative, adj.

avowtry

the crime of adultery.

barratry

the offense of frequently exciting or stirring up suits and quarrels between others. —barrator, n. —barratrous, adj.

battery

an intentional act that, directly or indirectly, causes harmful contact with another’s person.

caveat

a legal notice to beware; a notice placed on file until the caveator can be heard. —caveator, n. —caveatee, n.

civilist

a person who studies civil law.

compurgation

formerly, in common law, acquittal on the basis of endorsement by the friends or neighbors of the accused. Also called trial by wager of law. —compurgator, n. —compurgatory, adj.

compurgator

one who testifies to the innocence of an accused person.

constructionist

a person who puts a particular interpretation on provisions of the U.S. Constitution, especially those provisions dealing with the rights of individuals and states.

coverture

the status of a married woman.

criminalism

an act or action having the character of a crime. Also criminality. —criminal, n., adj.

culpability

1. the condition of blameworthiness, criminality, censurability.

2. Obsolete, guilt. —culpable, adj.

delinquency

a condition of guilt; failure to do that which the law or other obligation requires. See also finance. —delinquent, adj.

dicealolgy

Obsolete, a delineation of jurisdiction.

dikephobia

an abnormal fear or dislike of justice.

disherison

Archaic. 1. the act of disinheriting.

2. the condition of being disinherited.

Draconianism

any unreasonable harshness or severity in laws. —Draconian, Draconic, adj.

easement

the right one landowner has been granted over the land of another, as the right of access to water, right of way, etc., at no charge.

feudist

1. a specialist in law relating to the feudal system.

2. a person who holds or Iets land under the provisions of the feudal system.

fiduciary

a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another. —fiducial, fiduciary, adj.

jurisprudence

1. law as a science or philosophy.

2. a system of laws or a particular branch of law. —jurisprudent, adj.

Justinianist

an expert on the codification and revision of Roman laws ordered by the 6th-century Byzantine emperor Justinian. —Justinian code, n.

legalese

language typical of lawyers, laws, legal forms, etc., characterized by archaic usage, prolixity, redundancy and extreme thoroughness.

legalism

a strict and usually literal adherence to the law. —legalistic, adj.

legist

a person who is skilled or well versed in law.

litigiomania

a compulsion for involving oneself in legal disputes.

nomism

the practice of religious legalism, especially the basing of standards of good actions upon the moral law.

nomocracy

a system of government based on a legal code.

nomography

1. the art of drafting laws.

2. a treatise on the drawing up of laws. —nomographer, n. — nomographic, adj.

nomology

the science of law. —nomologist, n. —nomological, adj.

nonage

the state of being under the age required by law to enter into certain responsibilities or obligations, as marrying, entering into contracts, etc. See also church; property and ownership.

pandect

a legal code or complete body or system of laws.

pandectist

1. the writer of a complete code of the laws of a country.

2. the writer of a complete digest of materials on a subject.

pettifogger

1. a lawyer whose practice is of a small or petty character; a lawyer of little importance.

2. a shyster lawyer. —pettifoggery, n.

postremogeniture

the rights or legal status of the last child bom in a family. Also called ultimogeniture. Cf. primogeniture.

primogeniture

the rights or legal status of the first born in a family. Cf. postremogeniture.