law

law S1 W1 /lɔː $ lɒː/ noun
[Word Family: noun: law, lawyer, outlaw, lawfulness, lawlessness; verb: outlaw; adverb: lawfully ≠ unlawfully; adjective: lawful ≠ unlawful]
[Language: Old English; Origin: lagu]
1. SYSTEM OF RULES [uncountable] (also the law) the whole system of rules that people in a particular country or area must obey:
   • Elected officials ought to obey the law.
  by law
   • By law, seat belts must be worn by all passengers.
  under English/international etc law
   • This is illegal under English law.
2. A RULE [countable] a rule that people in a particular country or area must obey:
   • laws passed by Parliament
  under a law
   • Five people arrested under anti-terrorism laws were released without charge.
  law on
   • European laws on equal opportunities
  law against
   • The laws against drug use were very strict.
3. law and order a situation in which people respect the law, and crime is controlled by the police, the prison system etc:
   • We are concerned about the breakdown of law and order in the country.
4. POLICE the law the police:
   • I think she may be in trouble with the law.
5. WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS [countable] something that always happens in nature or society, or a statement that describes this
  law of
   • the law of supply and demand
   • the laws of nature
   • the law of gravity
6. STUDY/PROFESSION [uncountable] (also the law) law as a subject of study, or the profession of being a lawyer:
   • She’s studying law in London.
7. SPORT/ACTIVITY [countable] one of the rules which controls a sport or activity:
   • the laws of football
8. the law of the jungle
   a) the idea that people should only look after themselves and not care about other people if they want to succeed
   b) the principle that only the strongest creatures will stay alive
9. the law of averages the probability that one result will happen as often as another if you try something often enough:
   • The law of averages says we’ll win at least once.
10. be a law unto himself/herself etc to behave in an independent way and not worry about the usual rules of behaviour or what other people do or think:
   • Boys his age are a law unto themselves.
11. take the law into your own hands to do something illegal in order to put right something that you think is not fair, for example by violently punishing someone instead of telling the police:
   • vigilantes who take the law into their own hands
12. go to law to go to court in order to settle a problem:
   • the right of consumers to go to law if they need to
13. be above the law someone who is above the law does not have to obey the law:
   • Many ministers seem to regard themselves as being above the law.
14. there’s no law against something spoken used to tell someone who is criticizing you that you are not doing anything wrong
15. there ought to be a law against something spoken used to say that you do not think something should be accepted or allowed:
   • There ought to be a law against cutting off power supplies in the middle of February.
16. sb’s word is law used to say that someone is always obeyed without argument
⇨ Sod’s law, ⇨ lay down the law at LAY DOWN(3), ⇨ unwritten law at unwritten
     • • •

COLLOCATIONS(for Meanings 1 & 2)■ verbs

   ▪ obey the law • Citizens have a duty to obey the law.
   ▪ break the law (=do something illegal) • Is the company breaking the law?
   ▪ pass a law • New Jersey passed a law requiring helmets for scooter riders.
   ▪ become law (=officially be made a law) • For a bill to become law, it must be approved by both Houses of Parliament.
   ▪ make laws • Part of the function of Parliament is to make laws.
   ▪ introduce a law • In 1989, a new law was introduced to protect the Polish language.
   ▪ enforce a law (=make people obey a law) • It is the job of the police to enforce the law.
   ▪ flout a law (=deliberately disobey a law) • Employers who flout the law should be properly punished.
   ▪ repeal a law (=officially end a law) • Many people want the law to be repealed.
   ▪ a law prohibits something (=says that it is not allowed) • The law prohibits possession of these animals.

■ phrases

▪ something is against the law (=it is illegal) • The children knew that shoplifting was against the law.
▪ stay/act within the law (=not do illegal things) • The security forces must act within the law.

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + law

   ▪ strict/tough • the country’s strict anti-tobacco laws
   ▪ tax/copyright/divorce etc law(s) • an accountant who knows about tax law
   ▪ criminal law (=laws concerning crimes) • Criminal law contains definitions of such crimes as murder, rape, and robbery.
   ▪ civil law (=laws concerning disagreements between people, rather than crimes) • The punishment for breaking civil law is usually a fine.
   ▪ international law (=laws that all countries agree to obey) • Under international law, the countries must respect the treaty.
   ▪ English/German etc law • This is not an offence under English law.
   ▪ federal law (=the law of the US, not a particular state) • Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate against employees because of race or sex.
   ▪ state law (=the law in a US state) • Under state law it was illegal for any public official to receive gifts worth more than $100.
   ▪ common law (=laws that have come from customs and the decisions of judges) • In common law, if a house is rented out, it is expected that the house is safe to live in.
   ▪ case law (=law based on previous court cases) • There is little case law covering this issue.
     • • •

THESAURUS

   ▪ rule an instruction that says what people are allowed to do or not allowed to do, for example in a game, school, or company: • the rules of baseball | • He disobeyed the school rules.
   ▪ law an official rule that everyone in a country, city, or state must obey: • It is against the law to carry a concealed weapon. | • The law requires motorcyclists to wear helmets.
   ▪ regulation an official rule or order, which is part of a set of rules made by a government or organization: • the regulations for applying for a passport | • building regulations | • environmental regulations on air pollution
   ▪ restriction an official rule that limits what people can do: • new restrictions on immigration | • The government is planning to impose regulations on the amount of alcohol you can bring into the country.
   ▪ guidelines rules or instructions about the best way to do something: • the Department of Health’s guidelines for a healthy diet | • guidelines for classroom teachers
   ▪ code a set of rules that people or organizations agree to obey but are not forced to obey: • The school has a dress code for its students. | • the company’s code of conduct
   ▪ statute formal a law that has been officially approved by a parliament, council etc, and written down: • The statute banned corporal punishment.
   ▪ ordinance American English a law, made by a city or town, that forbids or restricts an activity: • A local ordinance limited speed in the parks to ten miles an hour.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

law

law [law laws] [lɔː] [lɔː] noun

SYSTEM OF RULES

1. (also the law) uncountable the whole system of rules that everyone in a country or society must obey

• If they entered the building they would be breaking the law.

• In Sweden it is against the law to hit a child.

• Defence attorneys can use any means within the law to get their client off.

• British schools are now required by law to publish their exam results.

• The reforms have recently become law.

• Do not think you are above the law (= think that you cannot be punished by the law).

• the need for better law enforcement

• (humorous) Kate's word was law in the Brown household.

2. uncountable a particular branch of the law

• company/international/tax, etc. law

see also canon law, case law, civil law, common law, private law, statute law

ONE RULE

3. countable a rule that deals with a particular crime, agreement, etc

• ~ (against sth) the 1996 law against the hiring of illegal immigrants

• ~ (on sth) The government has introduced some tough new laws on food hygiene.

• strict gun laws

• a federal/state law

• to pass a law (= officially make it part of the system of laws)

• (informal) There ought to be a law against it!

see also by-law, licensing laws

SUBJECT/PROFESSION

4. uncountable the study of the law as a subject at university, etc; the profession of being a lawyer

• Jane is studying law.

• (NAmE) He's in law school.

• (BrE) He's at law school.

• What made you go into law?

• a law firm

POLICE

5. the law singular used to refer to the police and the legal system

• Jim is always getting into trouble with the law.

• She was well known for her brushes with the law.

OF ORGANIZATION/ACTIVITY

6. countable one of the rules which controls an organization or activity

• the laws of the Church

• The first law of kung fu is to defend yourself.

• the laws of cricket

• the laws of war

OF GOOD BEHAVIOUR

7. countable a rule for good behaviour or how you should behave in a particular place or situation

• moral laws

• the unspoken laws of the street

IN BUSINESS/NATURE/SCIENCE

8. countable the fact that sth always happens in the same way in an activity or in nature

Syn: principle

• the laws of supply and demand

• the law of gravity

9. countable a scientific rule that sb has stated to explain a natural process

• the first law of thermodynamics

see also Murphy's Law, Parkinson's law, Sod's Law, legal, legalize, legislate

more at the letter of the law at letter n., possession is nine points/tenths/parts of the law at possession, the rule of law at rule n., on the wrong side of the law at wrong adj.

Idioms: a law unto yourself ▪ go to law ▪ law and order ▪ law of averages ▪ law of the jungle ▪ lay down the law ▪ take the law into your own hands ▪ there's no law against something

Word Origin:

Old English lagu, from Old Norse lag ‘something laid down or fixed’, of Germanic origin and related to lay (verb).

Culture:

the legal system

In Britain, for historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant (= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted (= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).

British law is divided into civil law which concerns disagreements between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff (= the person who claims to have been wronged) brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages (= a financial payment) or an injunction (= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.

In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, specially trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court of Justice. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the House of Lords.

In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.

In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court’s decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a supreme court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences, i.e. against federal law, and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.

Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys-at-law. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is too poor to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney.

Thesaurus:

law noun

1. the law U

• Driving without insurance is against the law.

legislation • • constitution • • code • • charter •

(the) civil/criminal law/legislation/code

break the law/a code

be enshrined in law/legislation/the constitution/a charter

2. C

• They are introducing tough new laws against gun crime.

legislation • • rule • • regulation • • act • • statute • • commandment •

(a) law/legislation/rule against sth

pass (a/an) law/legislation/regulation/act/statute

break a law/rule/regulation/commandment

3. C, U

• He behaved as though moral laws did not exist.

principle • • rule • |formal tenet •

the law/principle/rule/tenet that…

a basic/fundamental law/principle/rule/tenet

a moral law/principle/rule

4. C

• the laws of supply and demand

principle • • rule • • theory • |technical theorem •

the law/principle/rule/theory/theorem that…

a basic/fundamental law/principle/rule/theory/theorem

a law/principle/rule/theory/theorem states that…

Collocations:

Criminal justice

Breaking the law

break/violate/obey/uphold the law

be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud

be arrested/ (especially NAmE) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US) felony charges

be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting

be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially NAmE) homicide/four counts of fraud

face two charges of indecent assault

admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for sth)

deny the allegations/claims/charges

confess to a crime

grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail

The legal process

stand/await/bring sb to/come to/be on trial

take sb to/come to/settle sth out of court

face/avoid/escape prosecution

seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel

hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial

sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury

sit/stand/appear/be put/place sb in the dock

plead guilty/not guilty to a crime

be called to/enter (BrE) the witness box

take/put sb on the stand/(NAmE) the witness stand

call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness

give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of sb

raise/withdraw/overrule an objection

reach a unanimous/majority verdict

return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death

convict/acquit the defendant of the crime

secure a conviction/your acquittal

lodge/file an appeal

appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict

Sentencing and punishment

pass sentence on sb

carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence

receive/be given the death penalty

be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)

carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)

be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder

do/serve time/ten years

be sent to/put sb in/be released from jail/prison

be/put sb/spend X years on death row

be granted/be denied/break (your) parole

more collocations at crime

Example Bank:

• A presidential veto prevented the bill from becoming law.

• As the law stands, you can get married at sixteen.

• As the law stands, you can get married while still too young to have a driving licence.

• By law, you are obliged to install smoke alarms in the factory.

• Congress amended the law in 1998.

• Environmental laws are strict about polluting precious water.

• In spite of the difficulties it would cause her family, the judge stuck to the letter of the law and jailed her.

• It's the job of the police to enforce the law.

• Judges interpret this law in different ways.

• Laws criminalizing same-sex relationships were ruled unconstitutional.

• Martial law was imposed to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

• No one is above the law.

• Parliament voted for the bill to become law.

• She lost her job at a Boston law office.

• She's at law school.

• The building was raided by law enforcement agents.

• The company is operating entirely within the law.

• The law applies equally to businesses large and small.

• The law forbids gambling of any kind.

• The law is clear: bribery is wrong.

• The wearing of a crash helmet is required by law.

• We believe this law is unconstitutional.

• What you did was clearly against the law.

• When police failed to arrest the suspect, local people took the law into their own hands and beat him up.

• a law limiting the hours of work to ten hours per day

• a law recognizing civil unions for same-sex couples

• a local law against keeping horses

• a room filled with law books

• individuals who are acting beyond the law

• rebels who live outside the law

• the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the law of the land on July 2, 1964.

• the broader implications of copyright law reform

• the law concerning industrial action ballots

• the law governing school attendance

• the law relating to the sale of goods

• the laws regarding child actors

• the laws regulating firearms

• the legislators who drafted the law

• the passage of a restrictive immigration law in 1924

• Do you remember anything about Ohm's Law?

• He frequently behaved as though moral laws did not exist.

• He specializes in international law.

• He was charged under the 1996 law against hiring illegal immigrants.

• If they entered the building they would be breaking the law.

• The country has very strict gun laws.

• The reforms have recently become law.

• The usual laws of supply and demand do not seem to apply in this case.

• Their world is shaped by their parents' attitudes and the unspoken law of the street.

• Who first defined the law of gravity?

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

law

law (PRINCIPLE) /lɔː/ US /lɑː/
noun [C]
a general rule which states what always happens when the same conditions exist:
Newton's laws of motion
the laws of nature/physics
HUMOROUS The first law of (= the most important principle in) politics is - if you're going to lie, don't get found out!
See also Murphy's law; Parkinson's law.

law (RULE) /lɔː/ US /lɑː/
noun [C or U]
a rule, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves, or the whole system of such rules:
There are laws against drinking in the street.
The laws governing the possession of firearms are being reviewed.
They led the fight to impose laws on smoking.
They have to provide a contract by law.
She's going to study law at university.
[+ ing form of verb or + to infinitive] Many doctors want to see a law banning/to ban all tobacco advertising.
See also bylaw; lawsuit; lawyer.

the law noun [S]
the system of rules of a particular country:
What does the law say about having alcohol in the blood while driving?
Of course robbery is against the law!
The judge ruled that the directors had knowingly broken the law.
You can't take that course of action and remain within the law.

the law group noun [S] INFORMAL
the police:
The law was/were out in force at the demonstration.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

law

[lɔ͟ː]

laws
1) N-SING: the N The law is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships. You can also use the law to refer to the people who work in this system.
  Obscene and threatening phone calls are against the law...
  They are seeking permission to begin criminal proceedings against him for breaking the law on financing political parties...
  There must be changes in the law quickly to stop this sort of thing ever happening to anyone else...
  The book analyses why women kill and how the law treats them.
2) N-UNCOUNT: usu adj N Law is used to refer to a particular branch of the law, such as criminal law or company law.
  He was a professor of criminal law at Harvard University law school...
  Under international law, diplomats living in foreign countries are exempt from criminal prosecution...
  Important questions of constitutional law were involved.
3) N-COUNT: oft n N A law is one of the rules in a system of law which deals with a particular type of agreement, relationship, or crime.
  ...the country's liberal political asylum law...
  The law was passed on a second vote.
4) N-PLURAL: the N of n, supp N The laws of an organization or activity are its rules, which are used to organize and control it.
  ...the laws of the Church of England...
  Match officials should not tolerate such behaviour but instead enforce the laws of the game.
  Syn:
  rule
5) N-COUNT A law is a rule or set of rules for good behaviour which is considered right and important by the majority of people for moral, religious, or emotional reasons.
  ...inflexible moral laws.
  Syn:
  code
6) N-COUNT: with supp A law is a natural process in which a particular event or thing always leads to a particular result.
  The laws of nature are absolute.
7) N-COUNT: with supp A law is a scientific rule that someone has invented to explain a particular natural process.
  ...the law of gravity.
8) N-UNCOUNT Law or the law is all the professions which deal with advising people about the law, representing people in court, or giving decisions and punishments.
  A career in law is becoming increasingly attractive to young people...
  Nearly 100 law firms are being referred to the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal.
9) N-UNCOUNT Law is the study of systems of law and how laws work.
  He came to Oxford and studied law...
  He holds a law degree from Bristol University.
10) → See also court of law, rule of law
11) PHRASE: v-link PHR (disapproval) If you accuse someone of thinking they are above the law, you criticize them for thinking that they are so clever or important that they do not need to obey the law.
  One opposition member of parliament accuses the government of wanting to be above the law...
  He considered himself above the law.
12) PHRASE The law of averages is the idea that something is sure to happen at some time, because of the number of times it generally happens or is expected to happen.
  On the law of averages we just can't go on losing and losing and losing.
13) PHRASE: PHR with cl If you have to do something by law or if you are not allowed to do something by law, the law states that you have to do it or that you are not allowed to do it.
  By law all restaurants must display their prices outside...
  Minicabs are prohibited by law from touting passers-by for business.
14) PHRASE: V inflects If you go to law, you go to court in order to get a legal judgement on a dispute. [mainly BRIT]
  He went to law and did not succeed in his claim against us.
15) PHRASE: V inflects (disapproval) If you say that someone lays down the law, you are critical of them because they give other people orders and they think that they are always right.
  ...traditional parents, who believed in laying down the law for their offspring.
16) PHRASE: V inflects If someone takes the law into their own hands, they punish someone or do something to put a situation right, instead of waiting for the police or the legal system to take action.
  The speeding motorist was pinned to the ground by angry locals who took the law into their own hands until police arrived.
17) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that someone is a law unto himself or herself, you mean that they behave in an independent way, ignoring laws, rules, or conventional ways of doing things.
  Some of the landowners were a law unto themselves. There was nobody to check their excesses and they exploited the people.
18) Sod's law → see sod

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

law

law /ˈlɑː/ noun, pl laws
1 [noncount]
a : the whole system or set of rules made by the government of a town, state, country, etc.
• People who are supposed to obey the law also need to know their rights under the law. [=according to the law]
• The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
• state/federal law
• Stealing is against the law. [=stealing is illegal]
• He denied that he had broken/violated the law. [=that he had done anything illegal]
• You have to pay taxes. That's the law of the land. [=the set of rules that exists in a certain place]
• The job of the police is to enforce the law. [=make sure that people obey the law]
• He's interested in a career in law enforcement. [=a career as a police officer]
• (US) Law enforcement officials [=police officials] in the area were alerted of the suspect's escape.
- see also martial law
b : a particular kind of law
• a lawyer who specializes in criminal/contract/immigration law
- see also common law
2 : a rule made by the government of a town, state, country, etc.

[count]

• A law requires that schools provide a safe learning environment. = There is a law requiring schools to provide a safe learning environment.
• In our civics class we learned how a bill becomes a law.
• She has proposed a new law to protect people from being evicted unfairly.
- often + on or against
• Congress passed several new laws on the environment. [=laws relating to the environment]
• a law against unfair eviction [=a law that makes unfair eviction illegal]
• We need stricter laws against discrimination.

[noncount]

• Schools are required by law to provide a safe learning environment.
• The bill will become law at the beginning of the year.
• With the majority voting in favor, the bill has been passed into law. [=the bill became a law]
• The bill was signed into law by the governor. [=the proposed law became officially active when the governor signed it]
3 the law : the people and organizations (such as the police and the courts) whose job is to find or punish people who do not obey laws
• They called in the law [=the police] to determine what should be done next.
• He's been in and out of trouble with the law for the last 10 years.
4 [noncount]
a : the job of a lawyer : the legal profession
• She's been thinking about going into law. [=thinking about becoming a lawyer]
• a career in law
• The company hired a large law firm [=a group of lawyers who work together as a business] to handle the case.
• She practices law [=she works as a lawyer] with a firm in Boston.
- see also attorney at law
b : the area of study that relates to laws and how they are used
• a professor of law
• studying law
• going to law school [=a school that trains you to become a lawyer]
5 : a religious rule

[count]

• the body of Islamic laws

[noncount]

• according to Jewish law
6 [count]
a : a rule stating that something (such as an art or profession) should be done in a certain way
• the laws of poetry
• He teaches his students that balance is the first law of architecture. [=balance is the most important principle in architecture]
b Brit : a rule in a sport or game
• the laws [=rules] of tennis
7 [count] : a statement that describes how something works in the natural world - often + of
• the law of gravity
• the laws of nature/physics
• Newton's laws of motion
above the law : not required to obey the law
• No one is above the law. [=everyone must obey the law]
• He complains that the new policy places corporations above the law. [=that the new policy allows corporations to do things that are not legal]
a law unto yourself
✦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]
go to law Brit : to ask a court of law to settle a dispute
law and order : a state or situation in which people obey the law : legal control and authority
• The police work to preserve law and order.
• a breakdown of law and order
lay down the law
- see lay down at ¹lay
outside the law
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]
take the law into your own hands : 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 law of averages : 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.
the law of the jungle
- 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
the long arm of the law
- see ¹arm
within the law
1 : agreeing with the law
• He says that everything he did was within the law. [=legal]
2 : in a legal way
• With the organization under so much scrutiny, it is even more important that they work/operate within the law. [=legally]
your word is law
✦If your word is law, other people must do what you say
• He'll listen to suggestions, but in the end, his word is law. synonyms law, rule, regulation, statute, and ordinance are statements about what people are allowed to do. A law is made by a government, and people who live in the area controlled by that government must obey it.
• According to a state law, all drivers must pass a written test before they can be fully licensed. A rule usually does not involve an official government. It typically describes what people are allowed to do in a game or in a particular place (such as a school).
• He explained the rules of football.
• The rules state clearly that smoking is prohibited on campus. A regulation is made by a government to protect people from being harmed.
• Safety regulations limit the number of hours an airline pilot can fly each month. statute is a formal word for a law made by a government.
• The new statute requires that all passengers in a car wear seatbelts. In the U.S., an ordinance is a law that is made by a local government and applies only to a limited area.
• The new city ordinance restricts parking on some streets.