What does “law” mean?
- 1
nounan official rule made by a government
There is a law against smoking in restaurants.
- 2
nounthe system of rules in a country, or the study of these rules
She is studying law at Harvard.
Law at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /lɔ/ · LAW
How to use “law” correctly
Say “break the law” and “obey the law”, not “do against the law”.
Common phrases with “law”
- break the law
- against the law
- pass a law
- law and order
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- rule
- regulation
“law” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- bill nounA2a statement of how much you must pay for something
- case nounA2a particular situation or example of something
- crime nounA2an action that is against the law
- culture nounA2the way of life, customs and beliefs of a group of people
- government nounA2the group of people who officially control a country or area
- lawyer nounA2a person whose job is to give legal advice and represent people in court
- leader nounA2a person who leads or controls a group, country or organization
- police nounA2the official organization whose job is to keep order and stop crime