What does jurisprudence mean?

Definitions for jurisprudence
ˌdʒʊər ɪsˈprud nsju·rispru·dence

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word jurisprudence.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. jurisprudence, law, legal philosophynoun

    the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do

  2. law, jurisprudencenoun

    the collection of rules imposed by authority

    "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

Wiktionary

  1. jurisprudencenoun

    The philosophy, science, and study of law and decisions based on the interpretation thereof

  2. Etymology: Latin iurisprudentia

Wikipedia

  1. Jurisprudence

    Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning and analogy, legal systems, legal institutions, and the proper application of law, the economic analysis of law and the role of law in society.Modern jurisprudence began in the 18th century and it was based on the first principles of natural law, civil law, and the law of nations. General jurisprudence can be divided into categories both by the type of question scholars seek to answer and by the theories of jurisprudence, or schools of thought, regarding how those questions are best answered. Contemporary philosophy of law, which deals with general jurisprudence, addresses problems internal to law and legal systems and problems of law as a social institution that relates to the larger political and social context in which it exists.This article addresses three distinct branches of thought in general jurisprudence. Ancient natural law is the idea that there are rational objective limits to the power of legislative rulers. The foundations of law are accessible through reason, and it is from these laws of nature that human laws gain whatever force they have. Analytic jurisprudence (Clarificatory jurisprudence) rejects natural law's fusing of what law is and what it ought to be. It espouses the use of a neutral point of view and descriptive language when referring to aspects of legal systems. It encompasses such theories of jurisprudence as legal positivism, holds that there is no necessary connection between law and morality and that the force of law comes from basic social facts; and "legal realism", which argues that the real-world practice of law determines what law is, the law having the force that it does because of what legislators, lawyers, and judges do with it. Unlike experimental jurisprudence, which seeks to investigate the content of folk legal concepts using the methods of social science, the traditional method of both natural law and analytic jurisprudence is philosophical analysis. Normative jurisprudence is concerned with "evaluative" theories of law. It deals with what the goal or purpose of law is, or what moral or political theories provide a foundation for the law. It not only addresses the question "What is law?", but also tries to determine what the proper function of law should be, or what sorts of acts should be subject to legal sanctions, and what sorts of punishment should be permitted.

ChatGPT

  1. jurisprudence

    Jurisprudence is the study or science of law. It involves the theoretical analysis of law, its principles, concepts and its role in society. Jurisprudence can also refer to a system or body of laws, or the philosophical interpretation of the meaning and nature of law.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Jurisprudenceadjective

    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

  2. Etymology: [L. jurisprudentia; jus, juris, right, law + prudentia a foreseeing, knowledge of a matter, prudence: cf. F. jurisprudence. See Just, a., and Prudence.]

Wikidata

  1. Jurisprudence

    Jurisprudence is the study and theory of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists, hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions. Modern jurisprudence began in the 18th century and was focused on the first principles of the natural law, civil law, and the law of nations. General jurisprudence can be broken into categories both by the type of question scholars seek to answer and by the theories of jurisprudence, or schools of thought, regarding how those questions are best answered. Contemporary philosophy of law, which deals with general jurisprudence, addresses problems in two rough groups: ⁕ Problems internal to law and legal systems as such. ⁕ Problems of law as a particular social institution as it relates to the larger political and social situation in which it exists. Answers to these questions come from four primary schools of thought in general jurisprudence: ⁕Natural law is the idea that there are rational objective limits to the power of legislative rulers. The foundations of law are accessible through human reason and it is from these laws of nature that human-created laws gain whatever force they have.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Jurisprudence

    jōō-ris-prōō′dens, n. the science or knowledge of law.—adj. Jurispru′dent, learned in law.—n. one who is learned in law.—adj. Jurispruden′tial.—Medical jurisprudence, forensic medicine (see Forensic). [Fr.—L., jurisprudentiajus, juris, law, prudentia, knowledge.]

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Jurisprudence

    The science or philosophy of law. Also, the application of the principles of law and justice to health and medicine.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce jurisprudence?

How to say jurisprudence in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of jurisprudence in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of jurisprudence in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of jurisprudence in a Sentence

  1. Gregory Poling:

    It will have enormous impact on future jurisprudence and on the perceived legitimacy of other claims in the South China Sea and around the world.

  2. Mark Paoletta:

    You have this 25 hours of Clarence Thomas on, you know, talking to Michael Pack about his life, about his journey, about his, you know, his jurisprudence, his thoughts and to make the movie and see all that cut away -- I was there for those interviews. You know, I saw these exchanges that I thought were gold, that would be great in the movie, with two hours and having to tell all parts of his life, you know, you're going to have to cut out a lot of discussion. So the idea was, let's package this up into a book in order to get a lot more of that interview.

  3. Rick Hasen:

    No, Roe v. Wade was not overruled tonight, but the ease with which Texas purported to bulldoze the Court's abortion jurisprudence tells you all you need to know about the right to choose before this Court.

  4. Katie Yarger:

    Those early years, when a justice is establishing his or her jurisprudence and style, are particularly challenging.

  5. Katie Yarger:

    Judge Gorsuch had the privilege of clerking on the Supreme Court, where he observed justices who had been on the court for decades as well as justices, like Justice Thomas, who was just beginning, those early years, when a justice is establishing his or her jurisprudence and style, are particularly challenging.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

jurisprudence#10000#21820#100000

Translations for jurisprudence

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for jurisprudence »

Translation

Find a translation for the jurisprudence definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"jurisprudence." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/jurisprudence>.

Discuss these jurisprudence definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for jurisprudence? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    jurisprudence

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    a socially awkward or tactless act
    A slip
    B rogue
    C scrutiny
    D purse

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for jurisprudence: