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lex

1 American  
[leks] / lɛks /

noun

plural

leges
  1. law.


lex. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. lexical.

  2. lexicon.


lex British  
/ lɛks /

noun

  1. a system or body of laws

  2. a particular specified law

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lex

First recorded in 1490–1500, lex is from the Latin word lēx

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He told AFP Babis most probably complied with the Czech conflict of interest law, dubbed "lex Babis".

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Russert may be right that this is the law, but in the immortal words of St. Augustine, lex iniusta non est lexas—”an unjust law is no law at all.”

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2021

But dura lex, sed lex — the law is hard, but it is the law — and the law in California forbade slavery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2021

Salus populi suprema lex, he reminds us: public health must be the highest law.

From Nature • Oct. 14, 2019

A foedus is a league, or compact, but it is often used as synonymous with lex, and Renaissance commentators on Lucretius interpreted him as talking about the laws of nature.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton