maintaining law and

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "maintaining law and" is not complete and therefore not fully usable in written English without additional context.
It can be used in discussions about legal enforcement or governance, typically followed by a noun that specifies what law is being maintained. Example: "The government is focused on maintaining law and order in the community."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The task is maintaining law and order".

The New York Times

He is in favor of legislation maintaining law and order in the Church.

The New Yorker

The now purely nominal role was originally bestowed on those responsible for maintaining law and order locally.

The Guardian

For him, the state should be stripped to a "residual government functioning of maintaining law and order, enforcing contracts".

The Guardian - Books

The purely nominal role was originally bestowed on the official responsible for maintaining law and order in the Chiltern hills.

The Guardian

SENATOR KENNEDY -- Could you just make a brief comment on these kinds of accusations about being pro-criminal, against prosecutors, against maintaining law and order?

The New York Times

Best quote: "The kind of Conservatism I was brought up on says that the first priority of the government is defending the country and maintaining law and order.

The Guardian

Mr. Rumsfeld said the 18,400 troops in Bosnia -- 3,100 of them American -- have successfully overcome any military challenge and are now maintaining law and order.

The New York Times

But to focus solely on these concerns misses a wider series of problems in clamping down on hackers, and maintaining law and order, online.

The Guardian - Opinion

The government declared martial law and asked the United Nations to help ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces and assist the government in maintaining law and order.

The New York Times

Nobody in his or her right mind seeks protection from the institutions entrusted with maintaining law and order, because they are totally corrupt.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always complete the phrase "maintaining law and" with a specific noun, such as "order", "justice", or "security", to provide a clear and meaningful context. For example, use "maintaining law and order" rather than just "maintaining law and".

Common error

Avoid using "maintaining law and" without specifying what aspect of law is being maintained. This can lead to ambiguity and weaken your writing. Always specify, for example, "maintaining law and order" or "maintaining law and safety".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintaining law and" functions as a verbal phrase that requires a complement to express a complete thought. Ludwig AI indicates that, grammatically, the phrase needs a noun to specify what is being maintained (e.g., order, justice).

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Encyclopedias

13%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Science

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the expression "maintaining law and" is frequently encountered, it's grammatically incomplete and necessitates a noun to clarify its meaning, commonly seen as "maintaining law and order". Ludwig AI highlights that completing the phrase is crucial for grammatical correctness. This phrase is generally used in neutral to professional contexts such as news, encyclopedias, and formal discussions on governance. To ensure clarity and precision in writing, always append a suitable noun to "maintaining law and".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

upholding law and

Focuses on supporting and defending the law, implying active enforcement.

enforcing law and

Emphasizes the active implementation and compulsion of legal statutes.

preserving law and

Highlights the act of keeping the law intact and preventing its decay.

sustaining law and

Stresses the continuous effort needed to keep the law effective and operational.

safeguarding law and

Implies protecting the law from threats or breaches.

administering law and

Focuses on the management and application of the law by authorities.

executing law and

Highlights the implementation and performance of legal duties.

overseeing law and

Implies a supervisory role in ensuring laws are followed and maintained.

promoting law and

Focuses on advancing and supporting the principles of law.

defending law and

Emphasizes the protection and advocacy of the legal framework.

FAQs

How to use "maintaining law and" in a sentence?

The phrase "maintaining law and" requires a noun to complete its meaning. For instance, you could say "The police are responsible for "maintaining law and order"" or "The court's role is "maintaining law and justice"".

What can I say instead of "maintaining law and"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "upholding law and", "enforcing law and", or "preserving law and" to convey a similar meaning.

Is "maintaining law and" grammatically correct?

While commonly used, "maintaining law and" is grammatically incomplete. It needs a noun or noun phrase to specify what aspect of the law is being maintained, such as ""maintaining law and order"".

What is the difference between "maintaining law and order" and "enforcing law and order"?

"Maintaining law and order" implies keeping the existing legal and social structure stable, while "enforcing law and order" suggests actively implementing and compelling adherence to the law. Although quite similar, the nuance between "maintaining law and order" emphasizes stability and "enforcing law and order" is more proactive.