Meanings
plural bylaws · alternative by-law · alternative UK byelaw · alternative UK bye-law · alternative obsolete byrlaw · alternative obsolete birley · alternative obsolete birlie · alternative obsolete birlaw · alternative obsolete burlaw · alternative obsolete bourlaw
- countablein pluraloftensingularA numbered provision within such kind of legislation.
Synonyms: ordinance
- A law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization (e.g., corporation or business).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rule made by a local authority to regulate its own affairs.
nounA numbered provision within such kind of legislation.
Origin
- Old Norsebýjar“town's; settlement's”
- Middle Englishbyrelawe
- Old Englishbīlage“bylaw”
- Middle Englishbylawe
- Englishbylaw
From Middle English bylawe, bilawe, partly from Old English bīlage (“bylaw”) and partly from a variant of Middle English byrelawe, birlawe, from Old Norse býjar (“town's; settlement's”) + lǫg (“laws; jurisdiction”). Byrlaw is attested earlier in English but is unattested in Old Norse and the cognates in Scandinavian languages follow the development of bylaw: Danish bylov (“municipal law”), Swedish bylag and byalag.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan usatge, consuetud
- usatgelocal custom or law
- consuetudlocal custom or law
- ordenançalocal custom or law
- estatutlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- ordenancesrule made by a local authority
Chinese Cantonese 附例, 附例
- 附例 (fu⁶ lai⁶)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- 附例 (fu⁶ lai⁶)rule made by a local authority
Chinese Mandarin 規章 /规章, 公司章程
- 規章 /规章 (guīzhāng)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- 公司章程 (gōngsī guīzhāng)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- 附例 (fùlì)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- 附例 (fùlì)rule made by a local authority
Czech vyhláška, stanova
- vyhláškalocal custom or law
- stanovalaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- vyhláškarule made by a local authority
Danish vedtægt
- vedtægtlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Dutch verordening, huishoudelijk reglement
- verordeninglocal custom or law
- huishoudelijk reglementlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Esperanto statuto
- statutolaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Finnish sääntö, järjestyssääntö
- sääntölocal custom or law
- järjestyssääntölocal custom or law
- säännötlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- ohjesääntörule made by a local authority
French arrêté, statuts
- arrêtélaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- statutslaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
German Gemeindesatzung, Satzung
- Gemeindesatzunglocal custom or law
- Satzunglaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- Statutlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- Geschäftsordnunglaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- Gemeindeverordnungrule made by a local authority
Greek κανονισμός, εσωτερικός κανονισμός
- κανονισμός (kanonismós)local custom or law
- εσωτερικός κανονισμός (esoterikós kanonismós)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Hungarian helyi törvény/szokás/szabályzat
- helyi törvény/szokás/szabályzatlocal custom or law
Indonesian anggaran rumah tangga
- anggaran rumah tanggalaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Irish fodhlí, fodhlí
- fodhlílocal custom or law
- fodhlílaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- fodhlírule made by a local authority
Malay undang-undang kecil
- undang-undang kecilrule made by a local authority
Māori pāero, pāero
- pāerolocal custom or law
- pāerorule made by a local authority
Persian آییننامه
- آییننامه (âyin-nâme)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Polish prawo miejscowe, przepis wewnętrzny
- prawo miejscowelocal custom or law
- przepis wewnętrznylaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- statutlaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- rozporządzenie władz lokalnychrule made by a local authority
Portuguese estatuto
- estatutolaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Russian уста́в
- уста́в (ustáv)law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Scottish Gaelic frith-lagh, fo-lagh
- frith-laghlocal custom or law
- fo-laghlocal custom or law
- frith-laghrule made by a local authority
- fo-laghrule made by a local authority
Spanish fuero
- fuerorule made by a local authority
Swedish stadga
- stadgalaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
Tagalog patakarambatas
- patakarambataslocal custom or law
Turkish tüzük, tüzük
- tüzüklocal custom or law
- tüzüklaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- belediye yönetmeliğirule made by a local authority
Welsh is-ddeddf, is-ddeddf
- is-ddeddflaw or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization
- is-ddeddfrule made by a local authority
Cite this entry
bylaw. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bylaw
“bylaw.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bylaw. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bylaw,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bylaw.
Source: bylaw on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.