statute
- 01 C1 Advanced
a formal law that is written down and passed by a government or parliament.
a formal written enactment of a legislative body that governs a state or nation. Usually countable when referring to specific laws.
Simple“The new statute requires all businesses to reduce their plastic waste by next year.”
In context“The court must determine whether the defendant's actions fall within the specific prohibitions outlined in the federal statute.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'statute of limitations', which refers to the legal time limit for starting legal action.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a formal rule made by an organization or institution to govern its members.
a permanent rule established by an organization, corporation, or educational institution to regulate its internal affairs.
Simple“The university statutes define how the dean is elected every four years.”
In context“The governing body amended the company statutes to allow for more transparent voting procedures during the annual general meeting.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a law or command believed to come from God or a king.
a law or decree issued by a sovereign or by a deity. This sense is primarily found in religious or historical texts.
Simple“The ancient text describes the statutes that the people were expected to follow.”
In context“The prophet exhorted the assembly to remain faithful to the divine statutes delivered to their ancestors.”
Synonyms
“More fundamentally, such an action would fall outside the powers conferred upon the Law Society by statute and would therefore be beyond its legal authority".”
“More than a year after Trump’s executive order, both judges found that the statute that Congress passed was unambiguous about which employers qualified for the program: all nonprofits with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status .”
From Middle English statut, from Old French statut, from Late Latin statutum (“a statute”), neuter singular of Latin statutus, past participle of statuō (“I set up, establish”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.