The body of government regulations and laws that govern the acquisition, possession, trade, and use of weapons.
example
Nach dem Vorfall forderten viele Politiker eine Verschärfung des Waffengesetzes.
After the incident, many politicians called for a tightening of the weapons law.
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is made up of 'Waffen' (plural of Waffe, weapon) and 'Gesetz' (law). The '-n-' is a linking element that connects the two words. So it is literally a law about weapons.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Waffengesetz tritt nächstes Jahr in Kraft.
The new weapons law comes into force next year.
Word family with -gesetz
The component '-gesetz' (law) is very productive. If you recognize this pattern, you can understand many other German words, e.g., 'Tierschutzgesetz' (animal protection law), 'Datenschutzgesetz' (data protection law), or 'Verkehrsgesetz' (traffic law).
EXAMPLE
Das neue Datenschutzgesetz hat viele Diskussionen ausgelöst.
The new data protection law triggered many discussions.
Typical verbs
In political and legal contexts, das Waffengesetz (the weapons law) is often combined with certain verbs: It is 'verschärft' (tightened/made stricter), 'gelockert' (relaxed/made less strict), or 'geändert' (changed).
EXAMPLE
Die Opposition fordert, das Waffengesetz zu verschärfen.
The opposition is calling for the weapons law to be tightened.