[ad. L. jūrisprūdēntia (also prūdēntia jūris): cf. It. giurisprudenza, F. jurisprudence ‘the skille or knowledge of laws’ (Cotgr., 1611): perh. the immed. source.]
1. a. Knowledge of or skill in law.
1628. Coke, On Litt., Epil. For a farewell to our jurisprudent, I wish vnto him the gladsome light of jurisprudence.
1758. Blackstone, Study of Law, in Comm. (1809), I. 27. Aristotle himself has said … that jurisprudence, or the knowledge of those laws, is the principal, and most perfect branch of ethics.
1795. Wythe, Decis. Virginia, 15. Being supposed to be known by men of jurisprudence.
b. The science that treats of human laws (written or unwritten) in general; the philosophy of law.
1756. J. Warton, Ess. Pope, I. vi. 300. The talents of Abelard were not confined to theology, jurisprudence, philosophy.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xvii. II. 40. The youth … who had devoted themselves to the study of Roman jurisprudence.
1799. Mackintosh, Stud. Law Nature & Nations, Wks. 1846, I. 345. Writers on general jurisprudence have considered states as moral persons.
1832. Austin, Jurispr. (1879), I. Prelim. Explan. 32. I shall distinguish general jurisprudence or the philosophy of positive law, from what may be styled particular jurisprudence, or the science of particular law.
1861. Q. Rev., CX. 115. The domain of Comparative Jurisprudence, of which English Law forms a small province.
2. A system or body of law; a legal system.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Jurisprudence … the stile or form of the Law.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xliv. Under his reign … the civil jurisprudence was digested in the immortal works of the Code, the Pandects, and the Institutes.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages, viii. II. (1819), II. 467. The difference between our Saxon and Norman jurisprudence.
1839. Ld. Brougham, Statesm. Geo. III., Ld. Mansfield (ed. 2), 58. Heads peculiar to Scottish jurisprudence, to which the English law affords no parallel.
a. 1859. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxv. V. 235. The history of our medical jurisprudence.
a. 1862. Buckle, Misc. Wks. (1872), I. 1. The noblest gift Rome has bequeathed to posterity, is her jurisprudence.
