lex

lex · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Law, especially as a body of rules or a system of jurisprudence (used primarily in legal and academic contexts, often in Latin phrases).

Forms

plural: leges

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    lex loci — The law of the place.
  • •
    lex talionis — The law of retaliation; an eye for an eye.
  • •
    lex scripta — Written law.
  • •
    lex non scripta — Unwritten law; common law.
  • •
    dura lex, sed lex — The law is harsh, but it is the law.

Related words

See also: jurisprudence, law, legal, statute
Synonyms: law, legislation, statute

Etymology

Directly from Latin lex ("law, statute, rule"), from Proto-Indo-European leg- ("to collect, gather"). Related to legal, legislation, and legitimate.