How to say "legislation" in Japanese

• 法律ほうりつJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounThe default word for 'legislation' in the sense of law or a statute, i.e. the enacted law itself. Use it when talking about what the law says or passing a law.
  この法律ほうりつはすべての人ひとに適用てきようされる。↗

  This law applies to everybody.
• 法制ほうせいCommon
  nounCovers 'legislation' as a system or body of laws, such as the legislative framework of a country. It refers to the legal system as a whole rather than any individual statute.
• 法規ほうきCommon
  nounMatches 'legislation' in the sense of laws and regulations viewed as binding rules, often in official or administrative contexts such as compliance with laws and regulations.
  我々われわれは交通こうつう法規ほうきを守まもらなければならない。↗

  We must observe the traffic regulations.
• 掟おきてCommon
  nounDespite the gloss, this is seldom the word you want for 'legislation'; it really means the rules or code of a group or profession, so it suits informal internal rules, not enacted law.

Use 法律 for law or a statute in general, 法制 for a legislative system or framework, 法規 for laws and regulations as rules, and 掟 only for informal rules of a group, not legislation.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 法律ほうりつlaw
• 法制ほうせいlegislation
• 法規ほうきlaws and regulations
• 掟おきてlaw
• 法整備ほうせいびlegislation
• 法規制ほうきせいregulation
• 法制化ほうせいかlegislating
• 立法りっぽう(enactment of) legislation