adjective
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of, relating to, or having the nature of a statute
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prescribed or authorized by statute
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recognized by statute
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subject to a punishment or penalty prescribed by statute
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of statutory
Explanation
If something is statutory, it is related to or set by laws or statutes. Statutory restrictions on air pollution require drivers to have the emissions from their cars checked every few years. You might wonder what the difference is between statutory and legal. Both are adjectives and both are concerned with the law. If something is legal, it is allowed by the law, whereas if it is statutory, it is regulated by law. In the negative, this is easier to understand. If something is not legal, the law says you can't do it. If something is not statutory, there are no laws regulating it.
Vocabulary lists containing statutory
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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Just Mercy
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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.
At some level, not yet precisely defined by courts, candidates for federal office are entitled to an election process that affords them fundamental fairness under the Constitution and statutory law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“Withholding the three specific statutory powers mentioned in the revised designation order in reality withholds nothing,” Seabright wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Sacramento already enacted statutory exemptions for qualifying urban infill housing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The first dismissals were made public amid a statutory public inquiry examining the lead-up to the attacks and decisions and actions taken in the aftermath.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
At thirty-five he had just been unwillingly evicted from the Youth League, and before graduating into the Youth League he had managed to stay on in the Spies for a year beyond the statutory age.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
