law
UK /lɔː/ · US /lɔ/ noun, verb, interjection, proper noun
Also a form of lave
Forms laws lawing lawed
- noun (usually with “the”) The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities. “The courts interpret the law but should not make it.”
- noun The body of such rules that pertain to a particular topic. “property law”
- noun Common law, as contrasted with equity.
- noun A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way. “There is a law against importing wallabies.”
- noun Any rule that must or should be obeyed, concerning behaviours and their consequences. (Compare mores.) “"Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you" is a good law to follow.”
- noun A rule or principle regarding the construction of language or art. “the laws of playwriting and poetry”
- noun A statement (in physics, etc) of an (observed, established) order or sequence or relationship of phenomena which is invariable under certain conditions. (Compare theory.) “the laws of thermodynamics”
- noun (mathematics, logic) A statement (of relation) that is true under specified conditions; a mathematical or logical rule. “Mathematical laws can be proved purely through mathematics, without scientific experimentation.”
- verb (obsolete) To work as a lawyer; to practice law.
- verb (ambitransitive, chiefly dialectal) To prosecute or sue (someone), to litigate.
- verb (nonstandard) To rule over (with a certain effect) by law; to govern.
- verb (informal) To enforce the law.
- verb To subject to legal restrictions.
- noun (obsolete) A tumulus of stones.
- noun (Northern England, Scotland, archaic) A hill.
- noun (dialectal or obsolete) A score; share of expense; legal charge.
- interjection (dated) An exclamation of mild surprise; lawks; in interjections, a minced oath for Lord.
- proper noun A surname originating as a patronymic.
- proper noun A diminutive of the male given name Lawrence.
- proper noun A topographic surname from Old English, perhaps originally meaning someone who lives near a burial mound.
Synonyms
law of nature act canon code convention constitution corpus decree dictate directive doctrine edict enactment guideline legislation mandate maxim order ordinance pandect jurisprudence natural law legal philosophy practice of law police police force constabulary
Etymology
From Middle English lawe, laȝe, from Old English lagu (“law”), borrowed from Old Norse lǫg (“law”, literally “things laid down or firmly established”), originally the plural of lag (“layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke”), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (“that which is laid down”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”). Cognate with Scots law (“law”), Icelandic lög (“things laid down, law”), Faroese lóg (“law”), Norwegian lov (“law”), Swedish lag (“law”), Danish lov (“law”), Finnish laki (“law”). Compare typologically distant cognate Russian уложе́ние (uložénije). Displaced native Old English ǣ and ġesetnes. More at lay.
Not related to legal, nor to French loi, Spanish ley, all of which ultimately derive from Latin lēx, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather”).
From Northern Middle English lawe, from Old English hlāw (“burial mound”). Also spelled low. See also Scots law.
From Middle English lagh, from Old Norse lag (“that which is lying or laid, position, price, way, sting, blow”), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (“that which is laid”). Cognate with Scots lauch (“one's tavern-reckoning or one's share of the cost, a score; a payment for drink or entertainment”), Middle English lai (“one's share of expenses, one's bill or account”).
Compare la and Lawd.
Webster’s 1913
- noun In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts.
- noun In morals: The will of God as the rule for the disposition and conduct of all responsible beings toward him and toward each other; a rule of living, conformable to righteousness; the rule of action as obligatory on the conscience or moral nature.
- verb Same as Lawe, v. t. [Obs.]
- interjection An exclamation of mild surprise. [Archaic or Low]
Etymology [OE. lawe, laghe, AS. lagu, from the root of E. lie: akin to OS. lag, Icel. lög, Sw. lag, Dan. lov; cf. L. lex, E. legal. A law is that which is laid, set, or fixed; like statute, fr. L. statuere to make to stand. See Lie to be prostrate.]
Etymology [Cf. La.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “law”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details