law

CEFRA2

/lɔː/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    An official rule that people must obey.

  2. 02

    noun

    The system of rules used to govern a country or society.

Examples

  • Studying international law helps students understand relations between different countries.

  • You are supposed to obey the law.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /laː/
  • /loː/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.

  2. A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way.

  3. The body of such rules that pertain to a particular topic.

More examples

In context

  • In theory, entrapment is against the law.

  • The courts interpret the law but should not make it.

  • Hunger knows no law.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In any democracy, all citizens must follow the blank of the land.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English lawe, laȝe, from Old English lagu (“law”), borrowed from Old Norse lǫg (“law”, literally “things laid down or firmly established”), originally the plural of lag (“layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke”), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (“that which is laid down”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”). Cognate with Scots law (“law”), Icelandic lög (“things laid down, law”), Faroese lóg (“law”), Norwegian lov (“law”), Swedish lag (“law”), Danish lov (“law”), Finnish laki (“law”). Compare typologically distant cognate Russian уложе́ние (uložénije). Displaced native Old English ǣ and ġesetnes. More at lay. Not related to legal, nor to French loi, Spanish ley, al...