法典 （拉丁语：codex）是指详细而全面记述一个法律体系的所有法律的，或是某个法律体系内关于某一方面的所有法律的成文法。历史上，各古文明的法律大多使用法典纪录。在近代，西方法学经常按照法典在一个法律体系中的重要性把该体系分类。法典占主导地位的一般称民法体系。法典占辅助地位，而不成文法为基础或主体的，一般称普通法体系。

最著名的早期法典是古巴比伦的《汉穆拉比法典》，诞生于公元前18世纪，原碑现藏巴黎罗浮宫。比汉穆拉比更早的现存法典还有里辟伊士他法典（前19世纪）、伊施嫩纳法典（前20世纪）、吾珥南模法典（前22世纪），以及制定于公元前2400年左右、在埃卜拉城（在叙利亚）发现的古档案中的泥版。

A code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted, by a process of codification. Though the process and motivations for codification are similar in different common law and civil law systems, their usage is different. In a civil law country, a Code typically exhaustively covers the complete system of law, such as civil law or criminal law. By contrast, in a common law country with legislative practices in the English tradition, a Code is a less common form of legislation, which differs from usual legislation that, when enacted, modify the existing common law only to the extent of its express or implicit provision, but otherwise leaves the common law intact. By contrast, a code entirely replaces the common law in a particular area, leaving the common law inoperative unless and until the code is repealed. In a third case of slightly different usage, in the United States and other common law countries that have adopted similar legislative practices, a Code is a standing body of statute law on a particular area, which is added to, subtracted from, or otherwise modified by individual legislative enactments.