1. relating to or involving the study of general laws rather than particular facts
Usage: academic; philosophy and social sciences
2. having the power to enact laws; legislative
Usage: formal; legal

Examples

• Psychology seeks nomothetic principles that apply to human behavior in general.
• The nomothetic approach in sociology focuses on discovering universal social laws.
• Researchers debated whether to use nomothetic or idiographic methods in their study.
• The nomothetic powers of Congress are outlined in the Constitution.
• His nomothetic research aimed to identify patterns across different cultures.
• The committee’s nomothetic function was to draft new regulations.