ordinances

noun

plural of ordinance
as in laws
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature a local ordinance forbids all street parking during snowstorms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ordinances Additionally, the law prohibits the state from overriding local ordinances limiting, prohibiting or otherwise regulating data centers. — Des Moines Register, States Newsroom, 3 Sep. 2026 Local officials said the company hasn't violated any county noise ordinances though, the outlet reported. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The bill would also allow local governments to set speed limits on bicycle paths and multiuse trails, which can already be established by local ordinances. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Known for his connections to Richard’s Bar, the old-school tavern where the city’s smoking ordinances never seem to be enforced, Dominic has reputed Outfit ties that go back many years. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The conversation shifted from tougher ordinances toward resource allocation and investing in third spaces, which are places outside of work, school or home. — Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026 The sale, the largest-ever for a single lot in city history, could potentially allow the owner to build a 55,991-square-foot house on the land under existing ordinances. — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 But city officials say staff erred in not posting a notice on a board outside the city clerk’s office in keeping with the city’s code of ordinances. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 The City Attorney's Office says the selection of WTO complied with all city ordinances. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordinances
  1. laws
  2. acts
  3. bills
  4. statutes
  5. amendments
Noun
  • The letter alleged the Smithsonian ​may have violated anti-discrimination laws.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The franchise legally resides in Utah, which has one of the lowest minimum wage laws in the country.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of laws
Noun
  • These belated acts of institutional integration are part of a necessary and long overdue revision of West German art history’s mechanisms of exclusion.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Its most prominent acts include Junior H, Fuerza Regida and Peso Pluma.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of acts
Noun
  • The district voluntarily rolled back its levy rate in 2023 when property tax bills spiked countywide during the troubled 2023 property tax assessment cycle.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The press conference was for the governor to sign a series of bills, including a literacy bill that provides training and support for educators, requires screening for dyslexia and other learning disabilities and mandates kindergarten attendance.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bills
Noun
  • Obeying God’s statutes in our own lives helps open the way for others to do the same.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Justices’ daily business involves resolving ambiguities, clarifying jurisdiction, harmonizing conflicting statutes, and adjudicating conflicts in special jurisdictions.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of statutes
Noun
  • The Public Advocates Office, the independent consumer advocate at the Public Utilities Commission, said recent amendments to the bill did not address its concerns about shifting costs from one group of ratepayers to another.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Apply Amendments If the results of the soil sample indicate the need for amendments, they should be applied before reseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of amendments

Browse Nearby Words

ordinance
ordinances
ordinaries
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ordinances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinances. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All