Jurisprudence

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Jurisprudence \Ju`ris*pru"dence\, n. [L. jurisprudentia; jus,
     juris, right, law + prudentia a foreseeing, knowledge of a
     matter, prudence: cf. F. jurisprudence. See {Just}, a., and
     {Prudence}.]
     The science of juridical law; the knowledge of the laws,
     customs, and rights of men in a state or community, necessary


     for the due administration of justice.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The talents of Abelard were not confined to theology,
           jurisprudence, philosophy.               --J. Warton.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Medical jurisprudence}, that branch of juridical law which
        concerns questions of medicine.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  jurisprudence
       n 1: the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the
            principles that lead courts to make the decisions they
            do [syn: {law}, {legal philosophy}]
       2: the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization
          presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for
          jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
          [syn: {law}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  JURISPRUDENCE. The science of the law. By science here, is understood that 
  connexion of truths which is founded on principles either evident in 
  themselves, or capable of demonstration; a collection of truths of the same 
  kind, arranged in methodical order. In a more confined sense, jurisprudence 
  is the practical science of giving a wise interpretation to the laws, and 
  making a just application of them to all cases as they arise. In this sense, 
  it is the habit of judging the same questions in the same manner, and by 
  this course of judgments forming precedents. 1 Ayl. Pand. 3 Toull. Dr. Civ. 
  Fr. tit. prel. s. 1, n. 1, 12, 99; Merl. Rep. h.t.; 19 Amer. Jurist, 3.