Roman law
Americannoun
noun
-
the system of jurisprudence of ancient Rome, codified under Justinian and forming the basis of many modern legal systems
-
another term for civil law
Etymology
Origin of Roman law
First recorded in 1650–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Conservative and liberal judges alike questioned the arguments of Solicitor Gen. John Sauer, who represented the administration, saying he relied on “some pretty obscure sources,” including precedents that dated back to Roman law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
Justinian carried out monumental building projects, codified Roman law, and oversaw the reconquest of parts of the Roman West.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Roman law considered the unborn a “potential person.”
From Washington Post ● Jun. 10, 2022
Under Roman law slaves were considered property and had no legal personhood.
From Reuters ● Nov. 6, 2021
Throughout Europe, wherever the influence of Roman law was felt, the law concerned itself with the factum—the deed, or crime.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
