Legem

Legem is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun lex, meaning “law” or “statute.” In Latin, lex is a feminine noun of the third declension; its full paradigm includes nominative lex, genitive legis, dative legi, accusative legem, and ablative lege. The form legem appears when the law is the direct object of a verb, as in phrases like legem ex interpretando, or in texts describing a particular law.

In historical usage, legem occurs widely in Roman legal, political, and religious writings. It features in standard legal formulations such as lex talionis (the law of retaliation), lex loci (the law of the place), and lex naturalis (natural law). The term is central to the distinction in Roman thought between lex (a written or codified rule) and ius (a broader sense of law, right, or jurisdiction). This dichotomy influenced later medieval and modern legal vocabulary.

Etymology and semantic scope: lex is the classical Latin word for law, and legem represents the direct object form. The word has influenced many modern legal terms in languages descended from Latin, contributing to roots seen in English words like legal, legislation, and legislate. In Latin discussion and translation, legem is routinely used to indicate a specific rule or statute being acted upon or cited.

In modern references, legem is encountered primarily in scholarly works, translations of Latin legal texts, and discussions of Roman law, where it preserves the sense of “the law” as a formal, binding rule established by the state or authority.