someone who is appointed or elected to an office and who holds a position of trust; "he is an officer of the court"; "the club elected its officers for the coming year"
a government that undertakes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.
the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system; "he studied law at Yale"
a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society
a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics"
legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping"
the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
an adviser to the court on some matter of law who is not a party to the case; usually someone who wants to influence the outcome of a lawsuit involving matters of wide public interest