Law - Definition
law
n 1: the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization
presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for
jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" [syn:
law, jurisprudence]
2: legal document setting forth rules governing a particular
kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping"
3: a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature
and essential to or binding upon human society [syn: law,
natural law]
4: a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in
nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" [syn: law, law of
nature]
5: the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the
principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do
[syn: jurisprudence, law, legal philosophy]
6: the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in
a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system;
"he studied law at Yale" [syn: law, practice of law]
7: the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking
for him" [syn: police, police force, constabulary,
law]