Meaning of 'law' (Webster Dictionary)
- An exclamation of mild surprise.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Jewish or Mosaic code, and that part of Scripture where it
is written, in distinction from the gospel; hence, also, the Old
Testament.
- An organic rule, as a constitution or charter, establishing
and defining the conditions of the existence of a state or other
organized community.
- Any edict, decree, order, ordinance, statute, resolution,
judicial, decision, usage, etc., or recognized, and enforced, by the
controlling authority.
- In philosophy and physics: A rule of being, operation, or
change, so certain and constant that it is conceived of as imposed by
the will of God or by some controlling authority; as, the law of
gravitation; the laws of motion; the law heredity; the laws of thought;
the laws of cause and effect; law of self-preservation.
- In matematics: The rule according to which anything, as the
change of value of a variable, or the value of the terms of a series,
proceeds; mode or order of sequence.
- In arts, works, games, etc.: The rules of construction, or of
procedure, conforming to the conditions of success; a principle, maxim;
or usage; as, the laws of poetry, of architecture, of courtesy, or of
whist.
- Collectively, the whole body of rules relating to one subject,
or emanating from one source; -- including usually the writings
pertaining to them, and judicial proceedings under them; as, divine
law; English law; Roman law; the law of real property; insurance law.
- Legal science; jurisprudence; the principles of equity;
applied justice.
- Trial by the laws of the land; judicial remedy; litigation;
as, to go law.
- An oath, as in the presence of a court.
- Same as Lawe, v. t.
Meaning of 'law' (Princeton's WordNet)
Meaning (1):
- the collection of rules imposed by authority
Example in sentence:- civilization presupposes respect for the law;
- the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order
Meaning (2):
- the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system
Meaning (3):
- the force of policemen and officers
Example in sentence:- the law came looking for him
Meaning (4):
- a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature
Example in sentence:- the laws of thermodynamics
Meaning (5):
- legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity
Example in sentence:- there is a law against kidnapping
Definition
[ interj.]