-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
higher law
noun
: a principle of divine or moral law that is considered to be superior to constitutions and enacted legislation
Examples of higher law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is no higher law of overriding morality, and there's also no responsibility.
—
CBS News, 13 July 2024
Sister Megan Rice and her compatriots, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed, declared this an act of protest and love in the service of a higher law, but the incident prompted a two-week shutdown of the facility, and they were charged and convicted of intending to endanger the national defense.
—
Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2021
Measured against the sweep of Anglo-American legal history, judicial review—the power of unelected judges to invalidate, as contrary to higher law, an act of the legislature—was a radical development.
—
Raymond Kethledge, WSJ, 29 Nov. 2021
This was expected; such sanctuary was understood purely as moral confrontation, proclaiming a righteous and sheltering higher law.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, The New York Review of Books, 3 Nov. 2020
See all Example Sentences for higher law ![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2025-02-06--20-43-45-x16ho/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar.svg)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1593, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near higher law
Cite this Entry
“Higher law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/higher%20law. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share