Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,753,595,883 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Laws

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
Law, (Andrew) Bonar 1858-1923.
Canadian-born British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1916-1918) and prime minister (1922-1923).
Law, 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).
law  (lô)
n.
1. A rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority.
2.
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.
3. A set of rules or principles dealing with a specific area of a legal system: tax law; criminal law.
4. A piece of enacted legislation.
5.
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.
6.
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.
7.
a. The science and study of law; jurisprudence.
b. Knowledge of law.
c. The profession of an attorney.
8. Something, such as an order or a dictum, having absolute or unquestioned authority: The commander's word was law.
9. 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.
10. A code of principles based on morality, conscience, or nature.
11.
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.
12.
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.
13. Mathematics A general principle or rule that is assumed or that has been proven to hold between expressions.
14. A principle of organization, procedure, or technique: the laws of grammar; the laws of visual perspective.
intr.v. lawed, law·ing, laws
To go to law; litigate.
Idioms:
a law unto (oneself)
A totally independent operator: An executive who is a law unto herself.
take the law into (one's) own hands
To mete out justice as one sees fit without due recourse to law enforcement agencies or the courts.
[Middle English, from Old English lagu, from Old Norse *lagu, variant of lag, that which is laid down; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.LawsLaws - the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
Pentateuch, Torah
Book of Genesis, Genesis - the first book of the Old Testament: tells of Creation; Adam and Eve; the Fall of Man; Cain and Abel; Noah and the flood; God's covenant with Abraham; Abraham and Isaac; Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers
Book of Exodus, Exodus - the second book of the Old Testament: tells of the departure of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt led by Moses; God gave them the Ten Commandments and the rest of Mosaic law on Mount Sinai during the Exodus
Book of Leviticus, Leviticus - the third book of the Old Testament; contains Levitical law and ritual precedents
Book of Numbers, Numbers - the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt
Book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy - the fifth book of the Old Testament; contains a second statement of Mosaic law
Old Testament - the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible
Hebrew Scripture, Tanach, Tanakh - the Jewish scriptures which consist of three divisions--the Torah and the Prophets and the Writings


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
The Declaration of Independence by History Documents View in context
The Crito seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in one light only, not as the philosopher, fulfilling a divine mission and trusting in the will of heaven, but simply as the good citizen, who having been unjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the laws of the state.
Crito by Plato View in context
And the worst of it was, and the root of it all, that it was all in accord with the normal fundamental laws of over-acute consciousness, and with the inertia that was the direct result of those laws, and that consequently one was not only unable to change but could do absolutely nothing.
Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky, Fyodor View in context
More results
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.