the spirit of the law
noun phrase
: the aim or purpose of a law when it was written
They seem to be more concerned with obeying the letter of the law than with understanding the spirit of the law.
Examples of the spirit of the law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Take a moment to consider the differences between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
—
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2024
But some cannabis businesses, which went through an arduous application and lottery process to obtain licenses to sell THC products, say allowing anyone else to sell those products goes against the spirit of the law.
—Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2024
The county argued the operation, which was not profitable, did not align with the spirit of the law and the land was simply being labeled as agricultural to take advantage of a tax loophole.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
Meanwhile, the La Playa Piers, with the exception of the Nichols Street Pier, have been updated over the years to comply with the spirit of the law.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Some whistleblower lawyers are encouraging more reporting of any agreement that might fall afoul of the spirit of the law.
—Mengqi Sun, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
As Rolling Stone has previously reported, nearly all of the biggest ticket resale companies have skirted those laws in ways that at minimum go against what the spirit of the law intended and at worst outright breaks it.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2023
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Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2024
But some cannabis businesses, which went through an arduous application and lottery process to obtain licenses to sell THC products, say allowing anyone else to sell those products goes against the spirit of the law.
—Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2024
The county argued the operation, which was not profitable, did not align with the spirit of the law and the land was simply being labeled as agricultural to take advantage of a tax loophole.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
Meanwhile, the La Playa Piers, with the exception of the Nichols Street Pier, have been updated over the years to comply with the spirit of the law.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Some whistleblower lawyers are encouraging more reporting of any agreement that might fall afoul of the spirit of the law.
—Mengqi Sun, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
As Rolling Stone has previously reported, nearly all of the biggest ticket resale companies have skirted those laws in ways that at minimum go against what the spirit of the law intended and at worst outright breaks it.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near the spirit of the law
Cite this Entry
“The spirit of the law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20spirit%20of%20the%20law. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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