English → Latin
“law” in Latin
rēgularule, bar; ruler (measuring or drawing device)normaa carpenter’s square; a norm, standard (rule, precept)lēxthe legal machinery of a state, the law; a law, statute, bill; the laws regarded as a body, the constitutionēdīcōto declare, publish, establish, announce; to appoint, decree, ordain something; to make known (of a decree), proclaim; eīnstituōto set up, establish, found, institute or arrange; to train, teach, instruct, educate (usually by a course of training);
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
law
PROP., A fixed positive rule, settled regulation. FIG., An impulse or force, or established mode of action, lex, regula, for anything, alicujus rei or ad aliquam aliquid dirigitur (a rule or precept for anything, never without addition of the person or thing for which it is a rule. ☞ plur., regulae is not Latin): norma (a fixed rule from which one must not depart): norma et regula, for anyone, alicujus: the law of nature, lex or norma naturae: the eternal laws of nature, leges aeternae, quibus a Deo regitur aliquid: it is conformable to divine (natural) and human laws, est fas et jus; est jus fasque: it is contrary to divine (natural) laws, non fas est: the law of reason, norma rationis: the law of our existence, lex vitae or vivendi: the law of humanity, humanitas: to make a law to one’s self, sibi legem statuere, scribere; sibi imperare.
A general definite prescript, lex (of the state): edictum (an edict or ordinance published by a supreme magistrate): institutum (an institution generally considered valid, whether through compact or by tacit agreement): standing or existing laws, leges et instituta: the proposal of a law as made to the people, rogatio legis: to plan out or design a law, legem meditari: to draw up a law in writing, legem scribere: to give notice of the project of a law, legem or rogationem promulgare: to propose a law publicly in the forum, legem ferre; respecting anything, legem ferre, or simply ferre de re (all three of the author of a law): to support a project of law, legem suadere: to propose a law to the people, populum, legem rogare: the people accepts or adopts a law, accipit legem; rejects it, legem or rogationem antiquat: gives it force, sancit or sciscit legem: a law passes, lex perfertur; lex valet (these phrases show the manner of proceeding at Rome in the enactment of laws; Vid: Schütz., Lex. Cic., s. v. Lex): to draw up a law, legem condere, scribere, conscribere: to subject anything to a law, sub legis vincula conjicere aliquid: to enact a law concerning anything, legem jubere or sciscere de re (of the people); legem or lege sancire de re (of the people and Senate): to make it a law, that or that not, etc.; to command or forbid by law, that, etc.; ferre legem, ut or ne; lege sancire, ut or ne; sciscere et jubere, ut or ne (of the people): to give law for anyone, make it a law for anyone that, etc., legem alicui constituere, ut, etc.: to make laws for, give laws to, a country, leges dare, constituere, alicui civitati, especially of a plenipotentiary, etc.: ☞ legem dare, constituere, absolutely, are not Latin; nor is legem facere (a false reading, Cic., Phil., 5, 3, 7) in the sense of to enact or compose a law: to impose laws on anyone, leges alicui (populo, civitati, etc.), imponere (of a tyrant): to prescribe laws to anyone, leges alicui dicere or scribere: to carry a law into effect, legem exercere (Liv., 4, 51, not barbarous, as Bremi, Nep., Thras., 3, 3, supposes): to destroy laws, leges evertere, or pervertere, or perfringere, or perrumpere: to disregard, violate a law, legem negligere, violare: to evade a law, legi fraudem facere: the law admits it so far, lege sic praefinitum est: a book of laws, leges (scriptae); codex, corpus juris (e.g., juris Romani): to have the force of law, pro lege valere: without the sanction of law, sine legibus; legibus carens.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for law?
- The usual Latin words for “law” are rēgula, norma, lēx; also ēdīcō, īnstituō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.