legea

Legea is the Romanian definite article form of the noun lege, which means law. In Romanian, the definite article is suffixed to the noun, so legea means “the law.” The term is used both for the concept of law and for specific statutes when the definite article is attached.

In legal and public texts, Legea often appears as the title or designation of a particular statute, for example Legea nr. 123/2020. In this usage, Legea is typically capitalized as part of a formal title, indicating an official law. When referring to law in a general sense, the noun appears in its non-definite or plural forms (lege, legi) without the definite suffix, or in the definite plural legile for “the laws.”

Grammar and forms: the plural of lege is legi, while the definite plural is legile. The definite article suffixation pattern is a characteristic feature of Romanian nouns and affects both the singular and plural forms.

Etymology and usage: lege derives from Latin lex, legis, reflecting the common Romance-language lineage of legal vocabulary. The fixed expressions a încălca legea (to break the law) and a respecta legea (to respect the law) are frequently used in everyday language and official discourse. The term also appears in phrases naming-to-date laws and in references to legal systems, institutions, and constitutional provisions.

See also: law and legislation terminology in Romanian, concepts such as Codul civil (Civil Code) and Constituția (Constitution).