laws
Society's official rules
Laws are rules established by authority—typically governments—that members of a society must follow or face penalties.
The term extends beyond legislation to include natural regularities: the laws of physics, the laws of thermodynamics.
Murphy's Law and similar formulations name observed patterns presented as inevitable truths.
The law collectively means the legal system or police: He's in trouble with the law.
To lay down the law is to state rules emphatically.
Formally enacted laws
- actsDeeds or play sections
- codesSystems for secrecy
- amendmentsFormal changes to documents
- ordinancesLocal government rules
bills · regulations · decrees · enactments · provisions · charters · resolutions · mandates
Trial venue or sports surface
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- judgeOne who decides
- verdictOfficial court decision
- juryLegal decision-making body
prosecution · defense · plaintiff · defendant · attorney · litigation · adjudication · due process
Authoritative legal ban
- banOfficial restriction on something
- embargoOfficial prohibition on trade
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
- moratoriumTemporary prohibition or delay
sanction · curtailment · forbiddance · stricture · constraint · limitation · regulation · enforcement
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- democracyRule by the people
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- senateLegislative governing body
judiciary · executive · sovereignty · federalism · separation of powers · checks and balances · civil liberties · constitutional
Science of matter and energy
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- thermodynamicsScience of heat-energy relationships
- motionChange in position
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
entropy · relativity · Newton · causality · universal · immutable · scientific · principle
Expected behavioral standards
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- moralityRight and wrong principles
- taboosSocially proscribed practices
traditions · unwritten · conventions · expectations · conduct · behavior · mores · propriety
statutes
Formally enacted laws
- actsDeeds or play sections
- codesSystems for secrecy
- amendmentsFormal changes to documents
bills · ordinances · regulations · decrees · enactments · provisions · charters · resolutions · mandates · edicts
court
Trial venue or sports surface
jury · prosecution · defense · plaintiff · defendant · attorney · litigation · adjudication · due process · legal system
prohibition
Authoritative legal ban
- banOfficial restriction on something
- embargoOfficial prohibition on trade
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
moratorium · sanction · curtailment · forbiddance · stricture · constraint · limitation · regulation · enforcement · penalty
constitution
Inherent physical or structural makeup
- democracyRule by the people
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
senate · judiciary · executive · sovereignty · federalism · separation of powers · checks and balances · civil liberties · constitutional · bicameral
physics
Science of matter and energy
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- thermodynamicsScience of heat-energy relationships
- motionChange in position
conservation · entropy · relativity · Newton · causality · universal · immutable · scientific · principle · theory
norms
Expected behavioral standards
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- moralityRight and wrong principles
taboos · traditions · unwritten · conventions · expectations · conduct · behavior · mores · propriety · decorum
commandments
Authoritative rules demanding compliance
canon · scripture · divine · covenant · sin · blasphemy · ecclesiastical · Mosaic · dharma · karma
- social studiescivics, social studies, maps, economics, community
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, branches of government
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- justicecourtroom, trials, retributive justice, courts, gavel
- Science stufftheories, discoveries, inventions, experiments, formulas
- anti-litter effortsfines, signs, bins, cleanup, pickup
lawssuggestions
Proposed ideas or advice
recommendations · options · guidelines · advice · proposals
- against the lawForbidden by statute
- law firmAttorneys' business entity
- law schoolJD degree program
- law and orderGovernance through enforced rules
- law enforcementUpholding legal codes
- above the lawBeyond legal accountability
law, lawyer, outlaw, lawful, lawless, lawsuit, unlawful, lawyers, lawmaker