statute

American  

[stach-oot, -oot] / ˈstætʃ ut, -ʊt /

noun

1. Law.

   1. an enactment made by a legislature and expressed in a formal document.

   2. the document in which such an enactment is expressed.

2. International Law. an instrument annexed or subsidiary to an international agreement, as a treaty.

3. a permanent rule established by an organization, corporation, etc., to govern its internal affairs.

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statute British  

/ ˈstætjuːt /

noun

1. 1. an enactment of a legislative body expressed in a formal document

   2. this document

2. a permanent rule made by a body or institution for the government of its internal affairs

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Etymology

Origin of statute

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English statut, from Old French estatut, from Late Latin statūtum, noun use of neuter of Latin statūtus “made to stand,” past participle of statuere “to make stand, set up,” verb derivative of status status

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

Justice Jackson provides a brief history of the compassionate release statute in her Fernandez dissent.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

While classified as temporary, Greer also noted that the statute allowing Section 122 tariffs doesn’t indicate when they can be reused.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Of course a lot of people disagree with them, but the statute is designed to give us the right to make those policy judgments,’” said Benjamin Zipursky, a Fordham University law professor who studies torts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

It listed two alleged violations of Florida’s civil racketeering statute, the names of the defendants, and options to check “yes” or “no.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Between the passage of Alabama's new death penalty statute in 1975 and the end of 1988, there had been only three executions in Alabama.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• act
• bill
• decree
• edict
• measure
• regulation