bylaw

American  

[bahy-law] / ˈbaɪˌlɔ /

Sometimes byelaw

noun

• bylaws
  plural

1. a standing rule governing the regulation of a corporation's or society's internal affairs.

2. a subsidiary law.

3. British. an ordinance of a municipality or community.

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bylaw British  

/ ˈbaɪˌlɔː /

noun

1. a rule made by a local authority for the regulation of its affairs or management of the area it governs

2. a regulation of a company, society, etc

3. a subsidiary law

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bylaws
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bylaw

First recorded in 1325–75; by- + law ¹; replacing Middle English bilawe, equivalent to by “town” (from Scandinavian; compare Danish by ) + lawe “law”

Explanation

A bylaw is a rule that a group or company sets up, one that all members or employees are meant to follow. The bylaws of your school's student council might stipulate that all student council officers have to be in good academic standing. In Britain and some other countries, a bylaw is a local law, rather than a national one: "The city's bylaws don't allow me to sell my artwork without a special permit." In the U.S., bylaws apply to organizations rather than cities, towns, or states. A club's bylaws, for example, might state that each member has to pay a small membership fee. Bylaw is rooted in the Old Norse bi-lagu, "town law."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bylaw bylaws

In April, the Cairngorms National Park Authority introduced a bylaw making it illegal to start a fire or a BBQ during the summer months to prevent wildfires.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

It comes as part of new amendments to a bylaw under the NSL that the government gazetted on Monday.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026

Five City Section teams in the playoffs have had to forfeit games because players participated in outside leagues during their high school season in violation of CIF bylaw 600.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026

The school earlier this season had six transfer students declared ineligible for providing false information on paperwork to the Southern Section, a violation of CIF bylaw 202.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

It breaks every bylaw but this school has always been antiquated.

From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

Working with the NCF for the past six years, Igwe has mobilised community leaders, local groups and security teams to protect the birds from outside hunters, with local bylaws now helping to formalise their protection.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

But its bylaws stipulate that the entity can be dissolved at any time, which means the billionaire could regain control of it as soon as his second term ends in 2029.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

District Court in Dallas protecting the conference’s ability under its bylaws to sanction Texas Tech, a member school, if Sorsby played this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

From a federal law perspective, if arbitration is legal in charters of new public companies, it is also legal in bylaws of existing public companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Miss Mortimer tucked her yellowed copy of the bylaws out of sight.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• act
• case
• charge
• charter
• code
• constitution
• decision
• decree
• legislation
• mandate
• measure
• order
• precedent
• regulation
• requirement
• ruling
• statute