laws

Definition of lawsnext
plural of law
1
2
as in constitutions
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

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 laws The cemetery of good but dead laws is infinite; the main thing is that social forces exist. Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025 On the one hand, consumer protection laws are a hallmark of the region. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025 Indigenous tribes have long used fire to care for the land through cultural burnings, but in the 1800s, that practice was banned by restrictive and discriminatory laws in places like California. Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025 The Department of Justice is empowered under the federal securities laws to protect the integrity of the American capital markets by enforcing the securities laws and regulations. Samidh Guha, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025 The city is under mounting pressure to address its minimum wage laws after the state legislature passed a bill earlier this year that gave cities greater flexibility to do so. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025 Trump has chosen to enforce immigration laws to the fullest extent. Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2025 Due to the state's open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 8 Nov. 2025 Trump is setting rates by bypassing laws that require a more detailed process for imposing tariffs in limited circumstances. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws
Noun
  • And the Hall of Fame is now starting to take in acts like the White Stripes who broke after the turn of the millennium.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon and several other musical acts have officially been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Most of Mamdani’s predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.
    Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Most of Mamdani’s predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.
    Safiyah Riddle, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • One of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died while being brought to a hospital, regional police director Brig.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Other than the police chief and the two lieutenants, officers work on average 42 hours per week of shift work, which does not include overtime, Leiby said in an email to the Statesman.
    Scott McIntosh, Idaho Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Elected leaders give city management direction and OK ordinances, while city staff executes those decisions and drafts policies or proposals for the council to consider.
    Shawn Raymundo, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Stigma and barriers persist Thirty minutes away from Hillsboro, however, Reedsburg’s zoning ordinances prohibit mobile and manufactured homes outside of mobile home parks, where homeowners pay a monthly fee to rent a lot.
    Addie Costello, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Reza Pahlavi himself has distributed messages calling for defections among the armed forces, and coordinated protests through QR codes.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Consumers, meanwhile, are being asked to absorb the costs of aggressive climate mandates, including electric vehicle requirements and restrictive building codes, while state agencies have failed to comply with their own mandates.
    Tom J. Pyle, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The ‘major questions’ doctrine, a principle way to interpret statutes, prevents Congress from hiding major powers in insignificant laws.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • That left Barrett, who, as a follower of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, is deeply committed to interpreting statutes based on their text.
    Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Individual customers' bills will vary according to their usage rates.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The committee will file amendments to the bill by the end of the week and discuss the bill further next week.
    Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Senate Public Health Committee Chairman Hob Bryan, a Democrat who has served in the Legislature since 1984, said committee hearings used to involve frequent debate, amendments and discussion among subcommittees.
    Gwen Dilworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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