SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
statute
noun
A written law formally enacted by a legislative body.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Enacted written law
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA statute is enacted by a legislature. Regulation and ordinance can arise from different authorities, so they are not universal legal substitutes.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See statute in use
The historical essay examined the language of an old statute.
A statute in a classroom civic simulation is a written law formally enacted by the fictional town's legislative council to protect access to a riverside path.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license