Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Danelaw

American  
[deyn-law] / ˈdeɪnˌlɔ /
Also Danelage

noun

  1. the body of laws in force in the northeast of England where the Danes settled in the 9th century a.d.

  2. the part of England under this law.


Danelaw British  
/ ˈdeɪnˌlɔː /

noun

  1. the northern, central and eastern parts of Anglo-Saxon England in which Danish law and custom were observed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Danelaw

before 1050; Middle English Dane-lawe, earlier Dene-lawe, Old English Dena lagu. See Dane, law 1

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.

See Examples For:

Once Alfred the Great defeated the Great Army at Edington in AD878, the warlord Guthrum retreated to East Anglia, where it was ruled under Scandinavian law and customs, known as the Danelaw.

From BBC Aug. 7, 2022

But the geneticists see no trace of the Danelaw, the Danish rule over northern England from the ninth to the 11th century, nor of the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

From New York Times Mar. 18, 2015

After the treaty of Wedmore the district became part of the Danelaw.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various

It may be, therefore, that these laws were particularly intended for certain parts of the Danelaw.

From Canute the Great The Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age by Larson, Laurence Marcellus

Little by little the Danelaw was yielding to the common law of England, but that did not worry an Appleby.

From In the Days of the Guild by Lamprey, Louise

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training