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Law vocabulary · Legal Systems & Sources of Law

Act

Meaning in law, with examples

/ækt/nounCore term

In law, act means: A law passed by a parliament or other legislature, often named with a title and year such as the Companies Act 2006; also called an Act of Parliament.

In Turkish: kanun, yasa

How it is used

In British and Commonwealth texts statutes are called Acts, written with a capital A when they refer to a specific law: 'under the Act', 'section 5 of the Act'. A proposed law is a 'bill'; once passed and approved it becomes an Act. US federal statutes are also often called Acts.

Example sentences

  1. The new Act gives tenants more time to challenge a rent increase.

  2. Section 12 of the Act sets out the duties of company directors.

Common collocations

  • Act of Parliament
  • under the Act
  • pass an Act
  • section of the Act
  • the Act provides
  • statuteA written law passed by a parliament or another law-making body, as opposed to rules that come from court decisions.
  • billA draft law presented to a parliament for debate and voting; it becomes an Act or statute only after it has been passed and formally approved.
  • legislationLaws as a group, especially those made by a parliament; also the process of making these laws.
  • enactTo pass a bill so that it officially becomes law; used of parliaments and other legislative bodies.
  • sectionA numbered part of a statute in common law countries, such as section 3 of an Act; it is divided into subsections and paragraphs.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Legal Systems & Sources of Law

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.