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Definition

noun, plural: laws

(general) A set of norms, which can be observed in both sociological and philosophical or semantic sense.

(science)

(1) An established principle thought to be universal and invariable.

(2) A scientific generalization based on empirical observations of physical behavior.

Supplement

In Biological Sciences, Mendelian inheritance and the Hardy-weinberg law in genetics are some of the examples of scientific laws.

Word origin: Old English lagu, from Prehistoric Old Norse *lagu, later lög (pl.)

Related terms: Faradays laws, law of the heart, laws of association, mendels laws, scaling laws.

Compare: theory, hypothesis.