law and order

noun

1. strict control of crime and repression of violence, sometimes involving the possible restriction of civil rights.

law-and-order

noun

1. (modifier) favouring or advocating strong measures to suppress crime and violence

   a law-and-order candidate

Word History and Origins

Origin of law and order¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Idioms and Phrases

Strict enforcement of laws, especially for controlling crime. For example, Our candidate is always talking about law and order. The concept behind this term was stated by Aristotle. Today, however, it also carries the implication of infringing on civil rights in the course of too arduous law enforcement. [Late 1500s]

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