laws

noun

plural of law
1
as in acts
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature a record number of laws were passed in that legislative session

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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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

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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 Some voting laws have changed in Ohio since 2022, including the state eliminating its grace period for receiving mail ballots, a change that forces voters to return those ballots earlier. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026 Different views on the topic The Justice Department says its actions are intended to enforce federal voting laws and protect citizens’ ballots from dilution. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Granted, governments bend or break hard numerical laws when politics demand it, as is the case in Ghana and Kenya. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The conversation explores concerns about the imposition of religious laws, particularly focusing on the fear of Sharia law and Christian nationalism in the United States. — Asifa Quraishi-Landes, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Other existing Idaho laws on miscarriage management are limited, mostly focused on the disposal of a fetus’s remains and on vital statistics certificates. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026 Castro is currently under investigation by the Florida Commission on Ethics, which is looking into whether the commissioner violated state ethics laws and used her city position to benefit her permit-expediting business. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Representatives Lori Trahan and Jay Obernolte have advanced the FRONTIER Act, which would authorize government intervention against risky models and override some state laws. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 Broader consumer product safety laws still apply, including requirements to report potentially hazardous products. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws
  1. acts
  2. constitutions
  3. police
  4. ordinances
  5. codes
  6. statutes
  7. bills
  8. amendments
Noun
  • The 11-day 312 Comedy Festival, spread across seven venues, features standup acts such as Michelle Wolf, Nikki Glaser, and Hacks writer Pat Regan.
    — Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Three decades ago, the indie music scene was flourishing with homegrown acts like Beck and Rilo Kiley, based around clubs like Spaceland and the Garage.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of acts
Noun
  • Voters in 10 states will address prayer, trans athletes and other education issues, with some initiatives aiming for long-term change by amending constitutions.
    — Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2026
  • First Amendment experts say the dress policy draft’s language is too vague, and application of the rules for religious head coverings could run afoul of both the federal and state constitutions.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of constitutions
Noun
  • One injured woman was rescued and hospitalized, and another person who was crying for help had gone silent, the police chief said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Around 200 firefighters and emergency personnel ⁠in the area around Berchtesgaden in ​the southern region of Bavaria were battling ​the flames after the building, known as the Kehlsteinhaus, caught fire on Friday, police said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of police
Noun
  • However, local governments have their own ordinances regarding pet burials.
    — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • There’s not an exact count of the number of local regulations and ordinances that have been passed since robotaxis have gone mainstream.
    — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordinances
Noun
  • While a 2015 ordinance legalized street vending in Chicago, strict public health codes effectively limited what vendors could do.
    — Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Strong building codes, effective enforcement, stronger roofs, protected openings and sound roof-to-wall connections can interrupt the expensive cycle of destruction and reconstruction.
    — Kevin M. McCarty, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of codes
Noun
  • The lawsuit in District Court for the District of Columbia contends that the federal government failed to comply with numerous statutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Because of the 2024 ruling, courts no longer have to defer to federal agencies' interpretations of statutes when the language is unclear.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of statutes
Noun
  • But once those bills stop after age 5, the lower rent pulls the long-run totals down sharply.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Times’ reporting found that Marshall filed lawsuits against more than 700 patients with outstanding bills during his career as an obstetrician-gynecologist and that patients were arrested in 81 of those cases for missing court dates.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bills
Noun
  • Experts say the amendments could affect how the Japanese public views the imperial family.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Florida, however, requires amendments to secure 60% of the vote to pass.
    — Jim Defede, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of amendments

Browse Nearby Words

lawns
laws
lawsuit
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Cite this Entry

“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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