General term for a binding rule, law, or regulation. Often used in formal or legal contexts.
Refers to a standard, model, or pattern to be followed. Often used in abstract or philosophical contexts.
Buddhist teachings; Buddhist doctrine
Specifically refers to the teachings or doctrine of Buddha. Used in Buddhist contexts.
transverse measurement; measurement across
Rare technical term for a measurement taken across something, such as width or diameter. Mostly found in older or specialized texts.
side-slope; slope
Engineering term for the slope of an embankment or cutting. Rare outside technical contexts.
You must act in accordance with the laws of this country.
Breaking school rules can lead to expulsion.
His way of life became a model for many people.
This book shows the standards of calligraphy.
I listened to the monk expounding the Buddhist teachings.
This sutra contains the teachings of Buddha.
Old architectural books record the transverse measurements of pillars.
In civil engineering, the stability of side-slopes is important.
法律 is the common modern word for 'law' or 'legislation'. 法 (のり) is more archaic or formal, often used in set phrases or literary contexts.
規則 refers to rules or regulations in a specific organization or system. 法 (のり) has a broader, more fundamental sense of law or principle.
模範 is the common word for 'model' or 'example'. 法 (のり) as 'model' is more abstract and less frequently used in modern Japanese.
Most common kanji for general senses of rule, law, model, and Buddhist teachings.
Often used for rules and regulations, especially in legal or formal contexts.
Rare kanji for pattern or standard; often associated with carpenter's square or norm.
Rare kanji for rule or model; mostly seen in older texts.
Rare kanji for model or pattern; more common in compounds like 模範.
The reading のり is native Japanese, while the kanji 法, 則, etc., were adopted from Chinese. The word originally meant a standard or rule, and its usage expanded to cover laws, models, and Buddhist teachings. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is related to the verb のる (to declare, to announce), suggesting an original sense of 'something proclaimed as a standard'.