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Synonyms

law of the land

American  

noun

plural

laws of the land

  1. the body of laws and customs in effect in a country or other territory, or any one of these laws or customs.

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.

The US Constitution considers treaties the country enters to be the "supreme law of the land".

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The complex traceability rules are incompatible with real-world supply chains, making the regulation the law of the land even for those who don’t intend to do business with the EU.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

"They never bothered about the law of the land," he added.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

The Supreme Court’s finding has been the law of the land since, with Congress occasionally broadening the scope of citizenship based on the court’s ruling.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2025

It is the contention of the State and it is also the law of the land.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

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.