statutus

Statutus is a term of Latin origin that appears in scholarly and historical contexts rather than as a standard English noun. Derived from the Latin statuere, meaning “to set up” or “to place,” statutus functions as a participle meaning “having been established” or “standing.” In medieval and early modern legal documents, statutus is encountered as a descriptor for an established rule, ordinance, or statute—conveying that a measure has been enacted and fixed by authority.

In modern English, the term is rarely used outside Latin phrases or glosses. Its closest English cognates are statute and statutory, while in Latin the corresponding forms would be statuta or lex statuta, referring to laws enacted by a body in authority. Cognates in other Romance languages—statut in French, statuto in Italian—convey a similar sense of a formal rule or charter.

In scholarly discussions, statutus may appear when discussing Roman law, canonical or constitutional provisions, or historical charters, where it serves as a textual note indicating a provision that is established and binding. It is not a separate category of law or a modern technical term in contemporary legal or scientific nomenclature.

See also: status, statute, statutory, statute law, Latin terms used in law.