1. The philosophy or science of law, the legal system, and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions that they do: Some forms of jurisprudence include specific departments or divisions of law.
2. A particular system or body of laws imposed by authorities.
3. Etymology: "knowledge of law" from Latin jurisprudentia, "the science of law"; from juris, "of right, of law" + prudentia, "knowledge, a foreseeing, foresight, sagacity, wisdom" as applied in this term.