jurisprudence

American  

[joor-is-prood-ns, joor-is-prood-] / ˌdʒʊər ɪsˈprud ns, ˈdʒʊər ɪsˌprud- /

noun

1. the science or philosophy of law.

2. a body or system of laws.

3. a department of law.

   medical jurisprudence.

4. Civil Law. decisions of courts, especially of reviewing tribunals.

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jurisprudence British  

/ ˌdʒʊərɪspruːˈdɛnʃəl, ˌdʒʊərɪsˈpruːdəns /

noun

1. the science or philosophy of law

2. a system or body of law

3. a branch of law

   medical jurisprudence

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jurisprudence Cultural  

1. The philosophy of law. Jurisprudence implies creating a body of law and methods for interpreting the law, studying the relationships between law and society, and predicting the effects of legal decisions. In the United States, lawmakers, attorneys, scholars, and courts all take an active role in guiding jurisprudence.

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Other Word Forms

• jurisprudential adjective
• jurisprudentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of jurisprudence

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin jūrisprūdentia, jūris prūdentia “knowledge of the law” and used in the emperor Justinian’s law codes, published between a.d. 529 and 534. See jus, prudence

Related Words

• act
• case
• charge
• charter
• code
• constitution
• decision
• decree
• legislation
• mandate
• measure
• order
• precedent
• regulation
• requirement
• ruling
• statute