What is "by-law"

By-law \By"-law`\ (b[imac]"-l[add]`), n. [Cf. Sw. bylag, D. bylov, Icel. b[=y]arl["o]g, fr. Sw. & Dan. by town, Icel. b[ae]r, byr (fr. b[^u]a to dwell) + the word for law; hence, a law for one town, a special law. Cf. Birlaw and see Law.]

1. A local or subordinate law; a private law or regulation made by a corporation for its own government.

   There was likewise a law to restrain the by-laws, or ordinances of corporations.
   --Bacon.

   The law or institution; to which are added two by-laws, as a comment upon the general law.
   --Addison.

2. A law that is less important than a general law or constitutional provision, and subsidiary to it; a rule relating to a matter of detail; as, civic societies often adopt a constitution and by-laws for the government of their members. In this sense the word has probably been influenced by by, meaning secondary or aside.

n. (alternative spelling of bylaw English)

A by-law (sometimes also spelled bylaw or bye-law) is a rule or law established by an organization or community to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authority. The higher authority, generally a legislature or some other government body, establishes the degree of control that the by-laws may exercise. By-laws may be established by entities such as a business corporation, a neighborhood association, or depending on the jurisdiction, a municipality.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, and some Commonwealth countries, the local laws established by municipalities are referred to as by-laws because their scope is regulated by the central governments of those nations. Accordingly, a bylaw enforcement officer is the Canadian equivalent of the American Code Enforcement Officer or Municipal Regulations Enforcement Officer. In the United States, the federal government and most state governments have no direct ability to regulate the single provisions of municipal law. As a result, terms such as code, ordinance, or regulation, if not simply law are more common.