statute
Americannoun
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Law.
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an enactment made by a legislature and expressed in a formal document.
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the document in which such an enactment is expressed.
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International Law. an instrument annexed or subsidiary to an international agreement, as a treaty.
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a permanent rule established by an organization, corporation, etc., to govern its internal affairs.
noun
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an enactment of a legislative body expressed in a formal document
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this document
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a permanent rule made by a body or institution for the government of its internal affairs
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.
Vocabulary lists containing statute
Election Lingo
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Born a Crime
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Monday, a jury found that the case was outside the statute of limitations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The nine-person jury rejected the claims because the statute of limitations for bringing charges had expired.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Although Musk argued that he had delayed taking action because he trusted Altman, the jury found that his claims were filed outside of the statute of limitations.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
The nine-person jury unanimously found that Musk waited too long to file his lawsuit and missed the deadline for the statute of limitations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Alabama's capital statute requires that any murder eligible for the death penalty be intentional, but it was clear that Herbert had no intent to kill the child.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
