law of the jungle

American  

noun

1. a system or mode of action in which the strongest survive, presumably as animals in nature or as human beings whose activity is not regulated by the laws or ethics of civilization.

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law of the jungle British  

noun

1. a state of ruthless competition or self-interest

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law of the jungle Idioms  

1. Survival of the strongest, as in The recent price war among airlines was governed by the law of the jungle. This term, alluding to the jungle as a place devoid of ethics where brutality and self-interest reign, was first used by Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book (1894).

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Etymology

Origin of law of the jungle

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

That leads to the breakdown of civilization, a state where only the law of the jungle remains.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

"There is no place for this type of conduct, retribution or the law of the jungle."

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2024

"When the state can't do anything for you and can't even provide a tiny bit of hope over what lies in store, then we're living by the law of the jungle."

From Reuters • Sep. 21, 2022

Its shutdown, he said, would leave countries and companies contending with “the law of the jungle … the law of the strongest … and that will hurt us all.’

From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2019

On our way home, I verified the law of the jungle, for Kari had really developed a slight stench.

From Kari the Elephant by Mukerji, Dhan Gopal