spirit of the law

noun

Either the intent behind a law's wording, or the reasonable effect that the law ought to be applied toward; the interpretation of the law towards the end of providing justice, even if this interpretation competes with one that is asserted to be overliteral, pedantic, or punctilious.

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Meanings

noun
  1. Either the intent behind a law's wording, or the reasonable effect that the law ought to be applied toward; the interpretation of the law towards the end of providing justice, even if this interpretation competes with one that is asserted to be overliteral, pedantic, or punctilious.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 法律精神, 法意
  • 法律精神 (fǎlǜ jīngshén)interpretation of the law
  • 法意 (fǎyì)interpretation of the law
Finnish lain henki
  • lain henkiinterpretation of the law
Polish duch prawa
  • duch prawainterpretation of the law
Cite this entry
APA

spirit of the law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spirit%20of%20the%20law

MLA

“spirit of the law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spirit%20of%20the%20law. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spirit of the law,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spirit%20of%20the%20law.

Source: spirit of the law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.