statute

/ˈstætʃut/

/ˈstætʃut/

Other forms: statutes

A statute is a formal law or rule. Whether it's enacted by a government, company, or other organization, a statute is typically written down.

Local governments can pass all kinds of statutes, or written laws, to govern their citizens. A city's government might try to restrict the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public, or make it illegal to pet cats on the weekends. Of course, silly statutes like no cat-petting on weekends can be pretty hard to pass.

Definitions of statute

1. noun

   an act passed by a legislative body
   synonyms: legislative act

   types:

   fair-trade act

   formerly a state law that protected manufacturers from price-cutting by allowing them to set minimum retail prices for their merchandise; eliminated by the United States Congress in 1975

   Stamp Act

   an act passed by the British Parliament in 1756 that raised revenue from the American Colonies by a duty in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercial documents; opposition by the Colonies resulted in the repeal of the act in 1766

   enabling act, enabling clause

   a provision in a law that confers on appropriate officials the power to implement or enforce the law

   FISA, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

   an act passed by Congress in 1978 to establish procedures for requesting judicial authorization for foreign intelligence surveillance and to create the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; intended to increase United States counterintelligence; separate from ordinary law enforcement surveillance

   ordinance

   a statute enacted by a city government

   special act

   a legislative act that applies only to a particular person or particular district

   type of:

   act, enactment

   a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body
2. adjective

   enacted by a legislative body
   “statute law”

   synonyms: codified

   written

   systematically collected and written down