[stat.ute] n [ME, fr. OF statut, fr. LL statutum law, regulation, fr. L, neut. of statutus, pp. of statuere to set up, station, fr. status position, state] (14c) 1: a law enacted by the legislative branch of a government
2: an act of a corporation or of its founder intended as a permanent rule
3: an international instrument setting up an agency and regulating its scope or authority syn see law