as in law
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
a local ordinance forbids all street parking during snowstorms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ordinance
Public comment opened Tuesday for the first item for consideration, an ordinance calling for an election to exit the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system.
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Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
If adopted, the ordinance would prohibit the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, vaporizers and chewing tobacco to anyone born on or after a certain date.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
That ordinance, which pushed the November 2025 election to November 2026, faced scrutiny from residents and the courts.
—Tess Riski
january 8, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The City Council voted in 2024 to recriminalize multiple city ordinances despite concerns from some advocates after uptown residents came forward with health and safety concerns.
—Mary Ramsey
january 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ordinance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordinance
Noun
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The township is arguing that state law regarding government employee protections against lawsuits conflicts with federal court rulings.—
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Scott Venable, lead pastor of Northwood Church in Keller, said the city has never been at risk of being governed by sharia or any other foreign laws.—
Noun
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The prosecutor's office said a 16-year-old boy from Sayreville was arrested and charged with acts of juvenile delinquency which if committed by an adult would constitute murder, weapons charges and armed riot.—
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And when unlawful acts are committed, hold individuals accountable.—
Noun
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The bill would exempt snack foods and corn masa flour made by, or supplied to, certain types of businesses including cottage food operations.—
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Vanel, a Democrat from Queens, introduced a bill to ban trading on many types of predictions, including sports and politics.—
Noun
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The committee approved Lucas’s amendment and approved the recommendation to increase funding for the temporary jail.—
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Widerman said any amendment to ZIM’s articles of association made without the government’s consent would be invalid, and implicitly warned against company attempts to circumvent the rights attached to the golden share.—
Noun
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The lawsuit alleges violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, multiple state antitrust statutes and unjust enrichment laws.—
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The federal statute does not cover deliveries made by private services such as FedEx, UPS, or Amazon.—
Noun
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The most immediate and achievable step is to support legislation that gives youth the right to choose how they’re represented in adoption recruitment, protecting their privacy, dignity and safety.—
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Perhaps the most daunting is that legislation passed after the 2008 financial crisis explicitly limits most regulated mortgages to a term of 30 years at the maximum.—
Cite this Entry
“Ordinance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordinance. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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