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natural law
noun
: a body of law or a specific principle held to be derived from nature and binding upon human society in the absence of or in addition to positive law
Examples of natural law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Indeed, there is convincing evidence of momentum in stock and other asset returns, but this is not an unfailing natural law.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
As natural laws begin to break down, a team of scientists and a detective work together in the 21st century to prevent a humanity-destroying threat.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024
Today, modern liberals call those rules universal values, natural laws, or human rights.
—Gregory Fried, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
In the eyes of a transcendent God or natural law, all people -- whether Germans, Russians, or Jews -- were essentially the same.
—Gregory Fried, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2014
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Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of natural law was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near natural law
Cite this Entry
“Natural law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20law. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Legal Definition
natural law
noun
: a body of law or a specific principle of law that is held to be derived from nature and binding upon human society in the absence of or in addition to positive law
Note: While natural law, based on a notion of timeless order, does not receive as much credence as it did formerly, it was an important influence on the enumeration of natural rights by Thomas Jefferson and others.
More from Merriam-Webster on natural law
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about natural law
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