rule of law
noun phrase
: a situation in which the laws of a country are obeyed by everyone
The courts uphold the rule of law.
Examples of rule of law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is our principle: the rule of law is paramount and political violence has no place anywhere in the world.
—
Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Sep. 2024
If a president won't abide by the rulings of the courts, the rule of law disintegrates immediately.
—ABC News, 8 Sep. 2024
Nobody had a good answer, but the rule of law demands one.
—Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Legal purists at the American Bar Foundation who worried about collusion undermining the rule of law and early men’s rights activists like the American Divorce Association for Men contributed just as significantly to the movement towards no-fault divorce.
—Alison Lefkovitz / Made By History, TIME, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rule of law 
Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Sep. 2024
If a president won't abide by the rulings of the courts, the rule of law disintegrates immediately.
—ABC News, 8 Sep. 2024
Nobody had a good answer, but the rule of law demands one.
—Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Legal purists at the American Bar Foundation who worried about collusion undermining the rule of law and early men’s rights activists like the American Divorce Association for Men contributed just as significantly to the movement towards no-fault divorce.
—Alison Lefkovitz / Made By History, TIME, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rule of law
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rule of law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rule of law
Cite this Entry
“Rule of law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20of%20law. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
rule of law
1
: an authoritative legal doctrine, principle, or precept applied to the facts of an appropriate case
adopting the rule of law that is most persuasive in light of precedent, reason and policy—Wright v. Wright, 904 P.2d 403 (1995)
Wright v. Wright, 904 P.2d 403 (1995)2
: government by law : adherence to due process of law
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