The word 法则 is formed by combining two independent characters, each with a related core meaning, to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 法 (fǎ), primarily conveys the idea of "law", "method", or "standard". The second character, 则 (zé), carries the essential meaning of "rule", "norm", or "criterion". When fused, they do not merely list two ideas but synthesize them into a single, coherent notion: a fundamental law, rule, or principle that serves as a guiding standard, where 法 provides the authoritative model or framework, and 则 specifies the concrete rule derived from it.