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- DictionaryLaw/lô/
noun
- 1. the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties: "they were taken to court for breaking the law"
- 2. a rule defining correct procedure or behavior in a sport: "the laws of the game"
Learn the various meanings and uses of the word law, from a rule of conduct or action to a statement of order or relation. See synonyms, examples, etymology, and related phrases of law.
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the word law as a noun, verb, and adjective. Find synonyms, idioms, and related terms for law in different contexts and fields.
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the art of justice.
Learn the meaning of law as a rule, a system, or a principle in different contexts and domains. Find out how to use law in sentences, idioms, and phrases with Cambridge Dictionary.
- Overview
- above the law
- a law unto yourself
- go to law
- law and order
- outside the law
- take the law into your own hands
- the law of averages
- the law of the jungle
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: not required to obey the law
•No one is above the law. [=everyone must obey the law]
◊ People who are or think they are a law unto themselves act in a way that shows they do not care what kind of behavior other people think is acceptable.
•I've warned him that he can't keep behaving this way, but he won't listen. He seems to think that he's a law unto himself. [=that he can do whatever he wants to do]
: a state or situation in which people obey the law : legal control and authority
•The police work to preserve law and order.
1
: not agreeing with the law
•actions that may have been outside the law [=illegal]
2
: in an illegal way
•Investigators were unable to prove that the business was operating outside the law. [=illegally]
: to try to punish someone for breaking a law even though you do not have the right to do that
•Police are concerned that the victim's family may try to take the law into their own hands. [=may try to punish the criminal themselves instead of allowing the legal system to do it]
: the idea or principle that something which can produce different results will produce those results in a regular or predictable way over a period of time
•I can't believe that team has lost 12 games in a row. The law of averages says that they should have won at least one game by now.
— used to describe a situation in which people do whatever they want to or whatever is necessary to survive or succeed
•an industry governed by the law of the jungle
Learn the various meanings and uses of the word law, from the system of rules made by the government to the job of a lawyer or the area of study of laws. Find examples, synonyms, antonyms, and related terms for law in different contexts and fields.
Learn the meaning, pronunciation and usage of the word law in English. Find out the different types, branches and idioms of law, and see how to use it in sentences and collocations.
Definitions of law. noun. the collection of rules imposed by authority. “civilization presupposes respect for the law ” synonyms: jurisprudence. see more. noun. legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity. “there is a law against kidnapping” see more. noun.
