- (n.) A local or subordinate law; a private law or regulation made by a corporation for its own government.
- (n.) A law that is less important than a general law or constitutional provision, and subsidiary to it; a rule relating to a matter of detail; as, civic societies often adopt a constitution and by-laws for the government of their members. In this sense the word has probably been influenced by by, meaning secondary or aside.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). by-law. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/by-law/definitions/1983482 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "by-law" http://smartdefine.org/by-law/definitions/1983482 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, by-law, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/by-law/definitions/1983482>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "by-law" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/by-law/definitions/1983482> |