a law providing for the relief or support of the poor from public, esp parish, funds
poor law in American English
noun
a law or system of laws providing for the relief or support of the poor at publicexpense
Word origin
[1745–55]This word is first recorded in the period 1745–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: artistic, coda, debut, input, vignette
Examples of 'poor law' in a sentence
poor law
When soldiers were posted abroad, the army made no provision for their families, who were left to the mercy of the poor law.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Only a few decades earlier, the poor laws had dictated that anyone destitute would be packed off back to their home parish.