INDEX:
1. an official rule that everyone must obey
2. the whole system of laws of a country or place
3. part of a law or legal agreement
4. to make a new law
5. ways of saying that a law is officially accepted
6. relating to the law
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ RULE/REGULATION
↑ LEGAL
↑ ILLEGAL
↑ CRIME
↑ OBEY
↑ PUNISH
↑ LIMIT
↑ FORBID
↑ COURT/TRIAL
↑ STRICT/NOT STRICT
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1. an official rule that everyone must obey
▷ law /lɔː/ [countable noun]
an official rule that everyone in a country or place must obey :
▪ This law makes it illegal to smoke in public places.
▪ The law defines drunkenness as a certain percentage of alcohol in the blood.
law against
▪ Japan has very strict laws against guns and drugs.
under the law/according to the law
▪ Under the new law, anyone who assists in a suicide faces 10 years in prison.
law on
▪ tough new laws on immigration
▪ Both specific and general laws on child prostitution exist.
tax/gun/immigration etc law
▪ The current gun laws vary from state to state.
▷ legislation /ˌledʒɪsˈleɪʃ ə n, ˌledʒəsˈleɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
a set of laws, especially ones that are made to control a new problem :
▪ Legislation is needed to stop the spread of computer pornography.
▪ The legislation requires motorcyclists to wear helmets.
legislation on
▪ new legislation on the sale of alcohol
▷ act /ækt/ [countable noun]
a law made by parliament or Congress - used in the official name of a law :
▪ the 1991 Prevention of Terrorism Act
▪ The Wagner Act prohibited employers from firing workers for joining a union.
▷ bill /bɪl/ [countable noun]
a new law that has to be approved by members of the government before it can officially become a law :
▪ Monday’s debate on the defense bill lasted all night.
sign a bill
to approve a bill so that it becomes a law
▪ The president signed a bill that will help more families move from welfare to work.
▷ statute /ˈstætʃuːt/ [countable noun]
a law that has been officially established by the government so that it is written down as the law :
▪ In New Mexico, a state statute permits one minute of silent prayer at the beginning of school.
▪ Unfortunately his lawyer could find no statute or point of law preventing his client’s imprisonment.
▷ bylaw British /ordinance American /ˈbaɪlɔː, ˈɔːʳdə̇nənsǁ-d ə nəns/ [countable noun]
a law made by local government that people in a particular area or place must obey :
▪ Fishing on this river is forbidden under a local bylaw.
▪ a city ordinance prohibiting smoking in government buildings
2. the whole system of laws of a country or place
▷ law /lɔː/ [uncountable noun]
the whole system of laws that everyone in a country or place must obey :
▪ Andrew is studying law at Harvard University.
▪ In 1873 French law was imposed in Vietnam.
break the law
disobey the law
▪ I didn’t realize I was breaking the law.
federal law
American a law that everyone in the nation must obey
state law
American a law that everyone in a state must obey
international law
laws that govern how nations behave toward each other
▪ Refugees are accorded special protection under international law
by law
according to the system of laws
▪ By law, an advertiser can’t use a person’s name for commercial purposes without permission.
against the law
illegal because it is not part of the system of laws
▪ It’s against the law to be drunk in public.
law and order
respect for the system of laws
▪ The soldiers were brought in to restore law and order after the riots.
▷ legal system /ˈliːg ə l ˌsɪstə̇m/ [countable noun]
the laws and the way that they work in a particular country :
▪ Many people here have no faith in the legal system and do not expect to receive justice from it.
▪ The American legal system says that you are innocent until proven guilty.
3. part of a law or legal agreement
▷ article /ˈɑːʳtɪk ə l/ [countable noun]
one of the parts, usually numbered, of a written law or legal agreement :
▪ Article 1 of the constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
▪ The country signed the treaty but then violated each of its 143 articles.
▷ clause /klɔːz/ [countable noun]
a part of a written law or legal document, concerning a particular point or idea :
▪ I was told that this clause would be removed from the contract.
▪ Courts ruled that prayer in school violates a clause of the First Amendment.
▷ loophole /ˈluːphəʊl/ [countable noun]
a detail that is missing from a law or legal document that makes it possible to avoid something in that law :
▪ He pays very little tax because of some loophole in income tax legislation.
close a loophole
to add details to a law so that there is no way for people to avoid following it
▪ The new rules will close loopholes in British immigration law.
4. to make a new law
▷ pass /pɑːsǁpæs/ [transitive verb]
to accept a new law in a government or parliament, so that it officially becomes a law :
▪ Congress has passed an education-reform law.
▪ The law was passed with only a few MPs voting against.
▷ legislate /ˈledʒɪsleɪt, ˈledʒəsleɪt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to officially make laws that are intended to control a particular activity or situation :
legislate against
▪ Should parliament legislate against experiments on animals?
legislate on
▪ The government was under a lot of public pressure to legislate on equal pay.
legislate for
▪ Thomas Jefferson said that Britain had no right to legislate for its American colonies.
legislate something
American
▪ States are legislating stricter automobile safety measures for young children.
5. ways of saying that a law is officially accepted
▷ become law /bɪˌkʌm ˈlɔː/ [verb phrase]
if a new or suggested law becomes law, it is officially accepted and starts to exist :
▪ The Education Bill finally became law last month.
▪ Until the Food Protection Bill became law, the ministry had no power to ban dangerous pesticides.
▷ get onto/reach the statute book British also be on the books American /ˌget ɒntə, ˌriːtʃ ðə ˈstætʃuːt bʊk, biː ɒn ðə ˈbʊks/ [verb phrase]
if a law gets onto the statute book, it officially becomes a law :
▪ The Employment Bill was passed in 1982 but did not reach the statute book until 1984.
▪ The laws have been on the books for decades, but city officials failed to enforce them.
6. relating to the law
▷ legal /ˈliːg ə l/ [adjective only before noun]
connected with laws and courts :
legal advice
▪ People on low salaries can get free legal advice.
legal battle/dispute
when two people or organizations disagree about something, and this is judged in a court of law
▪ Neither side wanted a long and expensive legal battle.
legal fees
money you have to pay lawyers
▪ The American government does not pay the legal fees of Americans who are arrested abroad.
▷ legislative /ˈledʒɪslətɪv, ˈledʒəslətɪvǁ-leɪtɪv/ [adjective only before noun]
connected with making laws :
legislative assembly/council/body
▪ The Liberal Party has won control of the legislative assembly.
legislative power/authority/control
▪ Legislative authority rests with parliament.
▪ The U.S. president has no legislative power, but he can make recommendations.