English Reference
Adjective

statutory

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˈstætʃəˌtɔɹi/ UK /stˈætʃuːtəɹˌi/ statu·to·ry Law

adj.decided or controlled by a formal law. You use this to describe rights, rules, or duties that are written in legal documents rather than just being a habit.

adj.required, permitted, or enacted by statute; relating to rules established by legislative enactment rather than common law. Often used to distinguish formal legal requirements from contractual or customary ones.


SIMPLE

All employees are entitled to a statutory minimum wage.

CONTEXTUAL

The company has a statutory obligation to provide a safe working environment for all its staff members.

COMPLEX

While the internal policy suggests a two-week notice period, the statutory requirement remains the primary legal benchmark for resolving disputes regarding termination of employment.

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies; frequently collocates with 'duty', 'obligation', 'requirement', or 'rights'.

In line with its statutory remit, Fiosrú’s investigation relates to incidents involving contact with gardaí where a member of the public has died or been seriously injured.

BreakingNews.ie· 16 Aug 2026

Cawthorne has now called on the current site owners, Telford and Wrekin Council, to order a full fresh statutory investigation into the former landfill site near Coalbrookdale.

BBC News· 15 Aug 2026

From statute + -ory.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated