1a (1) : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed (see prescribe 1a) or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority 
(2) : the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules
  • The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
 
(3) :common law
b (1) : the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law 
  • preserved law and order in the town
 
(2) : the action of laws considered as a means of redressing wrongs; also :litigation
  • developed the habit of going to law over the slightest provocation
  •  —H. A. Overstreet
(3) : the agency of or an agent of established law 
  • When he saw that the fighting was escalating, he called in the law.
c : a rule or order that it is advisable or obligatory to observe 
  • a law of self-preservation





d : something compatible with or enforceable by established law 
  • The decrees were judged not to be law and were therefore rescinded.
e : control, authority 
  • The child submits to no law.

2a often capitalized : the revelation of the will of God set forth in the Old Testament
b capitalized : the first part of the Jewish scriptures : pentateuch, torah — see bible table

3: a rule of construction or procedure 
  • the laws of poetry

4: the whole body of laws relating to one subject 
  • criminal law
  • probate law





5a : the legal profession 
  • studied for a career in law
b : law as a department of knowledge : jurisprudence
c : legal knowledge 
  • a man with much history but little law

6a : a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions 
  • a law of thermodynamics
 
  • Boyle's law
b : a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions
— at law

: under or within the provisions of the law 
  • enforceable at law

    • Examples of law in a Sentence

      1. The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
      2. a lawyer who specializes in criminal law
      3. In our civics class we learned how a bill becomes a law.
      4. She has proposed a new law to protect people from being evicted unfairly.
      5. Schools are required by law to provide a safe learning environment.
      6. The bill will become law at the beginning of the year.
      7. He's been in and out of trouble with the law for the last 10 years.









1a (1) : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed (see prescribe 1a) or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority 
(2) : the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules
  • The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
 
(3) :common law
b (1) : the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law 
  • preserved law and order in the town
 
(2) : the action of laws considered as a means of redressing wrongs; also :litigation
  • developed the habit of going to law over the slightest provocation
  •  —H. A. Overstreet
(3) : the agency of or an agent of established law 
  • When he saw that the fighting was escalating, he called in the law.
c : a rule or order that it is advisable or obligatory to observe 
  • a law of self-preservation





d : something compatible with or enforceable by established law 
  • The decrees were judged not to be law and were therefore rescinded.
e : control, authority 
  • The child submits to no law.

2a often capitalized : the revelation of the will of God set forth in the Old Testament
b capitalized : the first part of the Jewish scriptures : pentateuch, torah — see bible table

3: a rule of construction or procedure 
  • the laws of poetry

4: the whole body of laws relating to one subject 
  • criminal law
  • probate law





5a : the legal profession 
  • studied for a career in law
b : law as a department of knowledge : jurisprudence
c : legal knowledge 
  • a man with much history but little law

6a : a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions 
  • a law of thermodynamics
 
  • Boyle's law
b : a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions
— at law

: under or within the provisions of the law 
  • enforceable at law

    • Examples of law in a Sentence

      1. The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
      2. a lawyer who specializes in criminal law
      3. In our civics class we learned how a bill becomes a law.
      4. She has proposed a new law to protect people from being evicted unfairly.
      5. Schools are required by law to provide a safe learning environment.
      6. The bill will become law at the beginning of the year.
      7. He's been in and out of trouble with the law for the last 10 years.