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Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

law

/lɔ/

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What does law mean?

noun

  1. The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.
  2. The body of such rules that pertain to a particular topic.
  3. Common law, as contrasted with equity.
More meanings (36)

noun

  1. A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way.
  2. Any rule that must or should be obeyed, concerning behaviours and their consequences. (Compare mores.)
  3. A rule or principle regarding the construction of language or art.
  4. A statement (in physics, etc) of an (observed, established) order or sequence or relationship of phenomena which is invariable under certain conditions. (Compare theory.)
  5. A statement (of relation) that is true under specified conditions; a mathematical or logical rule.
  6. Any statement of the relation of acts and conditions to their consequences.
  7. A sound law; a regular change in the pronunciation of a language.
  8. One of the official rules of cricket as codified by the its (former) governing body, the MCC.
  9. The control and order brought about by the observance of such rules.
  10. (informal) A person or group that act(s) with authority to uphold such rules and order (for example, one or more police officers).
  11. The profession that deals with such rules (as lawyers, judges, police officers, etc).
  12. Jurisprudence, the field of knowledge which encompasses these rules.
  13. Litigation; legal action (as a means of maintaining or restoring order, redressing wrongs, etc.).
  14. An allowance of distance or time (a head start) given to a weaker (human or animal) competitor in a race, to make the race more fair.
  15. A mode of operation of the flight controls of a fly-by-wire aircraft.
  16. One of two metaphysical forces ruling the world in some fantasy settings, also called order, and opposed to chaos.
  17. Acronym of light anti-tank weapon.
  18. (historical) An oath sworn before a court, especially disclaiming a debt. (Chiefly in the phrases “wager of law”, “wage one's law”, “perform one's law”, “lose one's law”.)
  19. (obsolete) A tumulus of stones.
  20. (archaic) A hill.
  21. (obsolete) A score; share of expense; legal charge.

verb

  1. To prosecute or sue (someone), to litigate.
  2. To rule over (with a certain effect) by law; to govern.
  3. (informal) To enforce the law.
  4. To subject to legal restrictions.
  5. (obsolete) To work as a lawyer; to practice law.

proper noun

  1. A surname originating as a patronymic.
  2. A diminutive of the male given name Lawrence.
  3. A topographic surname from Old English, perhaps originally meaning someone who lives near a burial mound.
  4. a conical hill
  5. A village in South Lanarkshire council area, Scotland, United Kingdom (OS grid ref NS8252).
  6. Synonym of Torah: the five Books of Moses, particularly the commandments in it, as well as their specification in the Mishnah and their further interpretation in later religious literature.
  7. the commandments in the Books of Moses, sometimes seen as transcended by Christ
  8. the commandments and moral principles that are binding for Christians, such as the Decalogue, the teachings of the New Testament, the Church Fathers, etc.
  9. A surname from Chinese.

interjection

  1. (dated) An exclamation of mild surprise; lawks; in interjections, a minced oath for Lord.
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Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/lɔ/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

But no organic law can ever be framed with a provision specifically applicable to every question which may occur in practical administration.
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln's First Inaugural AddressProject Gutenberg ebook #9
Its objects are CONTRACTS with foreign nations, which have the force of law, but derive it from the obligations of good faith.
Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; James MadisonThe Federalist PapersProject Gutenberg ebook #18
More book examples (3)
But his will was not law, and he went indoors to inquire of his mistress what were her wishes on the subject.
Thomas HardyFar from the Madding CrowdProject Gutenberg ebook #27
He was one of your wary men, who never laugh but upon good grounds--when they have reason and law on their side.
Washington IrvingThe Legend of Sleepy HollowProject Gutenberg ebook #41
He will always do the thing which will bring him the most mental comfort—for that is the sole law of his life.
Mark TwainWhat Is Man? and Other EssaysProject Gutenberg ebook #70