Refers to law or regulation, especially in the context of ancient East Asian criminal codes. In modern usage, often appears in compounds like 法律 (ほうりつ) or 規律 (きりつ).
Punished according to the law.
vinaya; monastic rules
Buddhist term for the rules governing the monastic community.
Monks must observe the vinaya.
Ritsu school
Abbreviation of 律宗 (Risshū), a school of Buddhism focused on monastic discipline.
See also: 律宗
lüshi; regulated verse
Abbreviation of 律詩 (りっし), a style of classical Chinese poetry with strict tonal and structural rules.
See also: 律詩
musical pitch
Refers to pitch in music. Also read as りち in some contexts.
This instrument has accurate pitch.
odd-numbered notes of ancient chromatic scale
In ancient Chinese music theory, the six odd-numbered notes (律) of the twelve-note chromatic scale, contrasted with the even-numbered 呂 (りょ).
Japanese gagaku scale; ritsu scale
Abbreviation of 律旋 (りっせん), a seven-tone scale used in gagaku, similar to the Dorian mode.
See also: 律旋
The ritsu scale is used in gagaku.
noun, noun, used as a suffix, counter
step; semitone
In traditional Eastern music, a step corresponding to a Western semitone. Can be used as a suffix or counter.
The Ritsu school is one of the sects of Japanese Buddhism.
Tang dynasty poets composed many lüshi.
Among the twelve pitches, the odd-numbered ones are called ritsu.
This scale consists of twelve steps.
法律 is the common modern word for actual law in a legal sense, while 律 alone is a more archaic or technical term often tied to ancient Chinese-derived codes.
規律 refers to discipline or order within a group or person, while 律 is a broader classical term for law or regulation.
律 (りつ) means law or regulation, while 率 (りつ) means rate or ratio; they share the same reading but are written with different kanji and mean unrelated things.
律 is an older term for musical mode used mainly in gagaku, while 調 is the more general suffix for key or mode and is far more common today.
law; legislation; act
autonomy (Kantian ethics) · self-control; self-discipline; autonomy (general)
uniform; even; across-the-board; equal
discipline; order; observance · rules; regulations; law
melody; tune
religious precept; commandment; discipline
tuning; temperament
judge; evaluate; measure · control; discipline; regulate
law of causality; principle of cause and effect
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
The kanji 律 originally depicted a hand holding a writing brush, symbolizing the act of writing down laws. It came to mean 'law, rule, regulation' and was extended to musical pitch and step due to the idea of standardization.
antinomy; self-contradiction; mutually exclusive alternatives
rhythm; rhythmic movement
martial law; military law; articles of war; military discipline
ritsuryō; ancient Japanese legal codes
ritsuryō system; ancient East Asian centralized governance system
heteronomy (Kantian ethics) · heteronomy (general)
criminal law
strict law; rigorous regulation
fixed law; established rule
standard tones; Chinese musical pitch system
Buddhist preceptor; priest
legal provisions; verse
law; rule · precept (Buddhist) · Torah