word is law
1
8.5
- idiom
- Informal
:
mi palabra es ley
- Supposedly there's an emergency financial manager whose word is law.
Examples
-
In our family, my father's word is law and everyone must obey him.
-
In the house, his word is law—he decides whether we shall be educated or not, what we will do, if we shall marry, when, and to whom.
Fiction book (1990) -
If anybody feels like they are in trouble... his word is law.
-
We're in a state of emergency, and my word is law!
-
My king's word is law.
-
My father's word is law in our house.
Fiction book (1995) -
My word is law.
-
In the mullah's state, however, his word was law and all the followers had to swear loyalty to both him and his teacher Saleh.
-
The photo spread would appear over her dead body, despite the fact that Latham, whose word was law, loved them, and that Pat Parker had the contractual right to demand that they be used.
Fiction book (1990) -
As the final authority in our group, her word is law during meetings.
Synonyms
People must do what one person says without question
What the mother decides must be followed without question
Antonyms
How Authoritative
- Informal
1
8.5
307
2.7
902
1.3
455
1.2
759
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression simply equates a person's 'word' with 'law', so a learner who knows 'word' (a statement or promise) and 'law' (a binding rule) can infer that the person's statement must be obeyed. Its straightforward equative structure and similar constructions in other languages make the meaning directly derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Word is law may come from times when a leader's spoken word was treated like law — if the leader said something, people had to obey it. So today saying someone's word is law means 'whatever they say is followed without question'.