Legal Definitions - ordonnance

Definition: Ordonnance (or-də-nənts or or-doh-nahns) is a French term that refers to:

1. A law, decree, or ordinance.
2. A compilation of a body of law on a particular subject, especially prizes and captures at sea.

Examples:

• The government issued an ordonnance to regulate the use of plastic bags.
• The ordonnance on maritime law outlines the rules for capturing enemy ships during war.

The first example illustrates the first definition of ordonnance, which refers to a law or decree. In this case, the government issued an ordonnance to regulate the use of plastic bags, which means that they created a law or decree to control the use of plastic bags.

The second example illustrates the second definition of ordonnance, which refers to a compilation of a body of law on a particular subject. In this case, the ordonnance on maritime law is a compilation of laws that outline the rules for capturing enemy ships during war.