lawfulness

English

Etymology

From Middle English laufulnes, lahfulnesse, equivalent to lawful +‎ -ness.

Noun

lawfulness (countable and uncountable, plural lawfulnesses)

  1. Property of being lawful, of obeying the law.
    Antonyms: unlawfulness, lawlessness, unlaw
    His extreme lawfulness made him righteous, but did it make him merciful?
  2. Property of operating in a manner organized by certain laws, such as laws of nature.
    • 1961, Carl R. Rogers, On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy:
      The process of psychotherapy […] is a unique and dynamic experience, different for each individual, yet exhibiting a lawfulness and order which is astonishing in its generality.

Translations

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