# ordinance

## Definition

An ordinance is a public regulation or law that gives rules or instructions for people in a certain society to follow.

* Sometimes an ordinance is a custom that has become well-established through years of practice.
* In the Bible, an ordinance was something that God commanded the Israelites to do. Sometimes he commanded them to do it forever.
* The term "ordinance" could be translated as, "public decree" or "regulation" or "law," depending on the context.