blue law

noun

Synonyms of blue law next

: one of numerous extremely rigorous laws designed to regulate morals and conduct in colonial New England

: a statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays

Examples of blue law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shibe Park was home to some great teams, with the Athletics winning nine pennants and five World Series titles there, but ownership routinely cited the state’s restrictive blue laws for limiting their ability to play home games on Sundays, putting the club at a disadvantage to other teams. —

Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, 26 May 2023 All stores in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will be closed on Thanksgiving due to blue laws, which prohibit retailers from being open. —

Chris Morris, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2019 Another thorny situation: The mall will abide by the blue laws, meaning retail will be closed Sundays even though the restaurants and theme parks will be open, says James Cassella, the East Rutherford, N.J. mayor. —

CBS News, 28 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of blue law was in 1755

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Blue law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20law. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

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Legal Definition

blue law

noun

: a statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sunday

Note: Existing blue laws derive from the numerous extremely rigorous laws designed to regulate morals and conduct that were enacted in colonial New England.

Etymology

blue puritanical