Law: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：a formal rule (law)

law 🔊

/lɔː/

A formal rule made by a government or society that everyone must follow. If you break it, you may be punished.

Law concept: judge's gavel striking block in courtroom

a formal rule 🔊

➕

/eɪ ˈfɔːrməl ruːl/

A law is a binding rule enforced by a governing authority, such as a government, that prescribes or prohibits certain behaviors within a society.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old Norse 'lag' meaning 'something laid down or fixed'. Related to 'lay' as something placed as a rule.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a claw (sounds like 'law') holding a judge's gavel firmly, symbolizing that laws grasp and enforce order.

📖 Example

The government passed a new law to protect the old forests from being cut down. 🔊 The government passed a new law to protect the old forests from being cut down.

🔗 Collocations

break the law – to violate a legal rule

pass a law – to officially enact legislation

by law – according to legal requirements

🔄 Synonyms

regulation (n.) – a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority

statute (n.) – a written law passed by a legislative body

ordinance (n.) – a local law or regulation

🚫 Antonyms

anarchy (n.) – absence of any form of law or government

disorder (n.) – a state of confusion lacking legal control

lawlessness (n.) – a condition where laws are ignored or nonexistent

🌱 Derivatives

lawful (adj.) – allowed or recognized by law

lawyer (n.) – a professional who practices law

unlawful (adj.) – not allowed by law; illegal

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Old Norse 'lag' used in medieval Britain to refer to fixed customs. By the 12th century, it evolved into the primary term for formal rules enforced by the crown.