Origin: Latin suffix -ory
Statutory has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
prescribed or authorized by or punishable under a statute
"statutory restrictions"
"a statutory age limit"
"statutory crimes"
"statutory rape"
Of, relating to, enacted or regulated by a statute.
"The company was fined for failing to comply with statutory safety regulations."
In plain English: Statutory means something that is required by law.
"The company must follow all statutory regulations to remain in business."
Usage: Use statutory when referring specifically to laws passed by a legislative body rather than general rules or regulations. This term is often confused with legal but carries the precise meaning of being established through formal statutes.
The word statutory comes from the Latin statutum, meaning a law or decree established by authority. It entered English through the French suffix -ory to describe anything relating to such laws.