1
2
as in constitution
a collection or system of rules of conduct it's important to obey the law at all times, or else you might end up in jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in police
the department of government that keeps order, fights crime, and enforces statutes a petty thief who had somehow managed to avoid the law for most of his life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word law distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of law are canon, ordinance, precept, regulation, rule, and statute. While all these words mean "a principle governing action or procedure," law implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the obligation of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority.

obey the law

When could canon be used to replace law?

In some situations, the words canon and law are roughly equivalent. However, canon suggests in nonreligious use a principle or rule of behavior or procedure commonly accepted as a valid guide.

the canons of good taste

When can ordinance be used instead of law?

While in some cases nearly identical to law, ordinance applies to an order governing some detail of procedure or conduct enforced by a limited authority such as a municipality.

a city ordinance

When would precept be a good substitute for law?

The words precept and law can be used in similar contexts, but precept commonly suggests something advisory and not obligatory communicated typically through teaching.

the precepts of effective writing

When might regulation be a better fit than law?

The meanings of regulation and law largely overlap; however, regulation implies prescription by authority in order to control an organization or system.

regulations affecting nuclear power plants

When is rule a more appropriate choice than law?

The words rule and law are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rule applies to more restricted or specific situations.

the rules of the game

When is it sensible to use statute instead of law?

Although the words statute and law have much in common, statute implies a law enacted by a legislative body.

a statute requiring the use of seat belts

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of law Asian Americans’ outrage over a judge’s leniency in the case — the assailants received $3,000 fines and no jail time — sparked a surge of activism seeking tougher hate crime laws nationwide. Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 31 May 2025 As part of its routine operations, ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025 Murrill’s office also invoked the habitual offenders statute, where criminal defendants can be tagged as habitual offenders after a fourth felony charge, according to Louisiana law, and face longer prison sentences. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025 Michigan’s no-fault car insurance laws and a high percentage of uninsured drivers make car insurance in this state expensive. Liz Knueven, CNBC, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for law
Noun
  • But Peter Wagner, executive director of the Prison Policy Initiative, says specific numbers aren't as important as simply the act of trying to quantify what incarceration does to families.
    Meg Anderson, NPR, 3 June 2025
  • When the Parks and Recreation alum was shot and killed at just 59 years old during a dispute with his neighbor on Sunday, June 1, his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed the act of violence was a hate crime.
    Liza Esquibias, People.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • The constitution of the baseball had become a paramount topic in the sport as home runs kept flying out of stadiums all October.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • This lamentable record is spurring calls to amend the constitution from the current single five-year term to two terms, as well as perhaps holding parliamentary elections at the same time as presidential to avoid the executive and legislature being constantly at odds with each other.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • The interior ministry’s provisional assessment as of Sunday morning was that 559 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris, which led to 320 people being placed in police custody, 254 of them in Paris.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
  • Officers located a rifle found underneath a car and multiple shell casings were also found on the block, according to a police report.
    Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • As murder defendant Karen Read rounds the corner on the halfway point of her second trial, the crippling weight of unpaid legal bills could be alleviated by an unlikely source: online crowdfunding.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
  • The bill passed unanimously out of committee and is presently awaiting further action in the state Senate.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • The recovery was aided by clever mitigation measures, such as shipping autos without semiconductors for certain optional vehicle features, and rewriting code so that chips in less demand, particularly semiconductors with less memory, could be used for other features.
    Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • The movie exploited the loosening codes of the time, to make for a more frank depiction of urban criminality.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • Thee different statutes would allow the Trump administration to advance its goals, subject to procedural checks on its power.
    Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • The president is exempt from conflict of interest statutes, but legal experts andDemocrats charge the plane could violate the Constitution’s prohibition on federal officials taking gifts from foreign countries.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • Officers with the Israeli National Police, including members of an explosive ordinance disposal team, were called to the scene in order to render the Molotov cocktails safe, prosecutors said.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
  • Both ordinances were introduced at the council’s Tuesday meeting.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • That’s essentially what many Democrat colleagues want to happen in this legislation.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
  • Flood defended the legislation as necessary to avoid a tax increase at the end of the year, when the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires, and the changes to Medicaid as reasonable reforms that will help protect benefits for deserving recipients in the long term.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/law. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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