Is 'lawing' a common word today?

No, it is an obsolete term and is not used in modern English outside of historical or specialised academic discussion.

Can I use 'lawing' to mean 'studying law'?

No, that would be incorrect. The correct terms are 'studying law' or 'reading for the bar'.

What is the modern equivalent of 'lawing'?

The closest modern noun is 'litigation', meaning the process of taking legal action.

Was 'lawing' only about going to court?

Primarily, but it also had a rare, separate historical meaning related to feudal hunting service, which is even more obscure.

lawing

Very Low

UK/ˈlɔː.ɪŋ/US/ˈlɑː.ɪŋ/ | /ˈlɔ.ɪŋ/

Obsolete/Legal Archaic

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The act of going to law; engaging in litigation.

The process or practice of undertaking legal proceedings, or less commonly, historical travelling from one's property to perform feudal service as a hunter.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

'Lawing' is an archaic or obsolete gerund/noun primarily referring to the act of engaging in a lawsuit. Its usage faded after the 18th century and is now found only in historical or specialized legal texts. It should not be confused with the verb 'to law' in any active modern sense.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No contemporary difference, as the term is obsolete in both varieties. Historical texts from both regions may contain the word.

Connotations

Historical/archaic, potentially with a negative connotation of being litigious.

Frequency

Effectively zero in modern usage for both.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

costs of lawingexpense of lawingbusy with lawing

medium

endless lawingavoid lawing

weak

threat of lawingprocess of lawing

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The [noun phrase] resulted in costly lawing.He was engaged in lawing [over/against NP].

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

litigation

Neutral

litigationsuing

Weak

legal actionlegal proceedings

Vocabulary

Antonyms

settlementmediationarbitrationreconciliation

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“[Obsolete] More cost than lawing is worth.”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Not used.

Academic

Only in historical or legal history contexts discussing medieval or early modern legal practices.

Everyday

Not used.

Technical

Not used in modern legal technical writing.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

[Obsolete] They are lawing over the boundary of the estate.

American English

[Obsolete] He spent years lawing against his neighbour.

Examples

By CEFR Level

This word is not used at the A2 level.

This word is not used at the B1 level.

In the old records, the phrase 'costs of his lawing' appears frequently.

The medieval tenant's obligation could include lawing, or hunting service, for his lord.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of 'law' + 'ing' as the action of 'doing law' against someone, like suing.

Conceptual Metaphor

LAWING IS A JOURNEY/FIGHT (e.g., 'embarked on a lawing', 'weary from lawing').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Do not confuse with 'закон' (zakon - the law as a concept). 'Lawing' is the process, closer to 'судебный процесс' (sudebnyy protsess) or 'тяжба' (tyazhba).

Common Mistakes

Using 'lawing' as a modern synonym for 'studying law' or 'practicing law' as a profession.
Using it as a present participle of a verb 'to law' in contemporary sentences.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

In historical texts, 'lawing' most closely refers to the act of .

Multiple Choice

In which context might you encounter the word 'lawing'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it is an obsolete term and is not used in modern English outside of historical or specialised academic discussion.
: No, that would be incorrect. The correct terms are 'studying law' or 'reading for the bar'.
: The closest modern noun is 'litigation', meaning the process of taking legal action.
: Primarily, but it also had a rare, separate historical meaning related to feudal hunting service, which is even more obscure.