View synonyms for law and order

law and order

noun

strict control of crime and repression of violence, sometimes involving the possible restriction of civil rights.

law-and-order

noun

modifier favouring or advocating strong measures to suppress crime and violence
a law-and-order candidate

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Word History and Origins

Origin of law and order¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

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Idioms and Phrases

Strict enforcement of laws, especially for controlling crime. For example, Our candidate is always talking about law and order . The concept behind this term was stated by Aristotle. Today, however, it also carries the implication of infringing on civil rights in the course of too arduous law enforcement. [Late 1500s]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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