Adjacent Words

Jurisprudence definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

JURISPRU'DENCE, n. [L. jurisprudentia; jus, law, and prudentia, science.] The science of law; the knowledge of the laws, customs and rights of men in a state or community, necessary for the due administration of justice. The study of jurisprudence, next to that of theology, is the most important and useful to men.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do [syn: jurisprudence, law, legal philosophy]
2: the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" [syn: law, jurisprudence]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1654 1. the science or philosophy of law 2. a. a system or body of law b. the course of court decisions 3. a department of law <medical jurisprudence> • jurisprudential adjective • jurisprudentially adverb

Britannica Concise

Science or philosophy of law. Jurisprudence may be divided into three branches: analytical, sociological, and theoretical. The analytical branch articulates axioms, defines terms, and prescribes the methods that best enable one to view the legal order as an internally consistent, logical system. The sociological branch examines the actual effects of the law within society and the influence of social phenomena on the substantive and procedural aspects of law. The theoretical branch evaluates and criticizes law in terms of the ideals or goals postulated for it.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the science or philosophy of law. 2 skill in law. Derivatives: jurisprudent adj. & n. jurisprudential adj. Etymology: LL jurisprudentia f. L jus juris law + prudentia knowledge: see PRUDENT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Jurisprudence Ju`ris*pru"dence, n. [L. jurisprudentia; jus, juris, right, law + prudentia a foreseeing, knowledge of a matter, prudence: cf. F. jurisprudence. See Just, a., and Prudence.] The science of juridical law; the knowledge of the laws, customs, and rights of men in a state or community, necessary for the due administration of justice. The talents of Abelard were not confined to theology, jurisprudence, philosophy. -- J. Warton. Medical jurisprudence, that branch of juridical law which concerns questions of medicine.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Jurisprudence is the study of law and the principles on which laws are based. (FORMAL)

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Science of law.