law, jurisprudence (noun)

the collection of rules imposed by authority

"civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

law (noun)

legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity

"there is a law against kidnapping"

law, natural law (noun)

a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society

law, law of nature (noun)

a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature

"the laws of thermodynamics"

jurisprudence, law, legal philosophy (noun)

the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do

law, practice of law (noun)

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"

police, police force, constabulary, law (noun)

the force of policemen and officers

"the law came looking for him"

Law (ProperNoun)

a conical hill

Law (ProperNoun)

the Torah

Law (ProperNoun)

a generic term which can refer to the Divine commandments (primarily the Decalogue), the Old Testament in general or, most specifically, the Torah.

Law (ProperNoun)

A patronymic surname.

Law (ProperNoun)

A diminutive of Lawrence.

Law

Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the art of justice. State-enforced laws can be made by a group legislature or by a single legislator, resulting in statutes; by the executive through decrees and regulations; or established by judges through precedent, usually in common law jurisdictions. Private individuals may create legally binding contracts, including arbitration agreements that adopt alternative ways of resolving disputes to standard court litigation. The creation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution, written or tacit, and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people. Legal systems vary between jurisdictions, with their differences analysed in comparative law. In civil law jurisdictions, a legislature or other central body codifies and consolidates the law. In common law systems, judges may make binding case law through precedent, although on occasion this may be overturned by a higher court or the legislature. Historically, religious law has influenced secular matters and is, as of the 21st century, still in use in some religious communities. Sharia law based on Islamic principles is used as the primary legal system in several countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia.The scope of law can be divided into two domains. Public law concerns government and society, including constitutional law, administrative law, and criminal law. Private law deals with legal disputes between individuals and/or organisations in areas such as contracts, property, torts/delicts and commercial law. This distinction is stronger in civil law countries, particularly those with a separate system of administrative courts; by contrast, the public-private law divide is less pronounced in common law jurisdictions.Law provides a source of scholarly inquiry into legal history, philosophy, economic analysis and sociology. Law also raises important and complex issues concerning equality, fairness, and justice.