Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Statute
Stat′ute
(-ū̍t)
, Noun.
[F.
statut
, LL. statutum
, from L. statutus
, p. p. of statuere
to set, station, ordain, fr. status
position, station, fr. stare
, statum
, to stand. See Stand
, and cf. Constitute
, Destitute
.] 1.
An act of the legislature of a state or country, declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something; a positive law; the written will of the legislature expressed with all the requisite forms of legislation; – used in distinction from
common law
. See Common law
, under Common
, Adj.
Bouvier.
☞ Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a legislative body consisting of representatives. In monarchies, the laws of the sovereign are called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, etc. In works on international law and in the Roman law, the term is used as embracing all laws imposed by competent authority. Statutes in this sense are divided into statutes real, statutes personal, and statutes mixed; statutes real applying to immovables; statutes personal to movables; and statutes mixed to both classes of property.
2.
An act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a permanent rule or law;
as, the
. statutes
of a university3.
An assemblage of farming servants (held possibly by statute) for the purpose of being hired; – called also
statute fair
. [Eng.]
Cf. 3d Mop
, 2. Halliwell.
Statute book
, a record of laws or legislative acts.
Blackstone.
– Statute cap
, a kind of woolen cap; – so called because enjoined to be worn by a statute, dated in 1571, in behalf of the trade of cappers.
[Obs.]
Halliwell.
– Statute fair
. See , 3, above.
– Statute
, Noun.
Statute labor
, a definite amount of labor required for the public service in making roads, bridges, etc., as in certain English colonies.
– Statute merchant
(Eng. Law)
, a bond of record pursuant to the stat. 13 Edw. I., acknowledged in form prescribed, on which, if not paid at the day, an execution might be awarded against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor, and the obligee might hold the lands until out of the rents and profits of them the debt was satisfied; – called also a
pocket judgment
. It is now fallen into disuse. Tomlins.
Bouvier.
– Statute mile
. See under
– Mile
. Statute of limitations
(Law)
, a statute assigning a certain time, after which rights can not be enforced by action.
– Statute staple
, a bond of record acknowledged before the mayor of the staple, by virtue of which the creditor may, on nonpayment, forthwith have execution against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor, as in the statute merchant. It is now disused.
Blackstone.
Syn. – Act; regulation; edict; decree. See
Law
. Webster 1828 Edition
Statute
STATUTE
, [L., to set.]1.
An act of the legislature of a state that extends its binding force to all the citizens or subjects of that state, as distinguished from an act which extends only to an individual or company; an act of the legislature commanding or prohibiting something; a positive law. Statutes are distinguished from common law. The latter owes its binding force to the principles of justice, to long use and the consent of a nation. The former owe their binding force to a positive command or declaration of the supreme power. Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a legislative body consisting of representatives. In monarchies, the laws of the sovereign are called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, &c.2.
A special act of the supreme power, of a private nature, or intended to operate only on an individual or company.3.
The act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a permanent rule or law; as the statutes of a university.Definition 2024
statute
statute
English
Noun
statute (plural statutes)
- Written law, as laid down by the legislature.
- (law) (Common law) Legislated rule of society which has been given the force of law by those it governs.
Derived terms
Translations
legislated rule of society which has been given the force of law
written 'law' as laid down by the legislature
External links
- statute in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- statute in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911