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| law [ law ] (plural laws) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. binding or enforceable rule: a rule of conduct or procedure recognized by a community as binding or enforceable by authority
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2. piece of legislation: an act passed by a legislature or similar body
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3. legal system: the body or system of rules recognized by a community that are enforceable by established process
  You are forbidden by law to enter the premises.
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4. control or authority: the control or authority resulting from the observance and enforcement of a community's system of rules
Nobody is above the law.
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5. branch of knowledge: the branch of knowledge or study concerned with the rules of a community and their enforcement
went to school to study law
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6. area of law: the body of law relating to a particular subject or area
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7. social sciences
Same as common law
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8. lawyers: the legal profession
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9. legal action: legal action or proceedings
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10. law enforcement agent or agency: a person or organization responsible for enforcing the law, especially the police
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11. general rule or principle: a general rule or principle that is thought to be true or held to be binding
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12. statement of scientific truth: a statement of a scientific fact or phenomenon that is invariable under given conditions
the laws of physics
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13. mathematical principle: a general relationship that is assumed or proved to exist between mathematical expressions
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| [Pre-12th century. < Old Norse lög "laws" < lag "something set down" < Germanic, "put"] |
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be a law unto yourself to refuse to obey the rules, conventions, or suggestions made or upheld by others
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lay down the law to express an opinion in an overbearing or dogmatic way
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take the law into your own hands to try to obtain revenge or justice without involving the police, courts, or usual legal procedures
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