What does statute mean?
Word: Statute
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Statute means a formal written rule passed by a parliament or similar body.
How do you spell statute?
Syllables: stat - ute
Tricky part: Statue and stature look very close, so pupils mix up the three words. This one has three t's in all.
Watch out for: statuet, statut
Memory tip: A bill is read three times in Parliament before it passes: one t for each reading.
Statute in a sentence
Example 1: The new statute requires every town to set aside land for public parks.
Example 2: Parliament passed the statute after months of debate.
Example 3: Our civics teacher read out a short statute about clean rivers.
Fun Fact
Britain's Statute of Anne of 1710 is widely seen as the first copyright act in the world. It gave authors control over the printing of their own books.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
statute
a) rank
b) law
c) height
d) monument
Show answer
b) law. The other three go with look-alike words, namely statue, stature and status.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
st_t_te
a) a, u
b) i, u
c) o, u
d) a, e
Show answer
a) a, u. The first vowel is the a of cat and the second is the u of tube.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Members voted on the statchute late on Tuesday evening.
a) voted
b) evening
c) Members
d) statchute
Show answer
d) statchute. You may hear a ch sound in the middle, but there is no c or h in the spelling.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) statute
b) constitusion
c) parliment
d) amendmant
Show answer
a) statute. Parliament has an a after the i, constitution has ti, and amendment ends in ent.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you look for the exact wording of a statute?
a) in a travel guide
b) in a government gazette
c) in a weekly comic
d) in a cookery book
Show answer
b) in a government gazette
2. Who can create a statute?
a) a book club
b) a state legislature
c) a cricket club
d) a debating society
Show answer
b) a state legislature
