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Synonyms

natural law

American  

noun

  1. a principle or body of laws considered as derived from nature, right reason, or religion and as ethically binding in human society.

natural law British  

noun

  1. an ethical belief or system of beliefs supposed to be inherent in human nature and discoverable by reason rather than revelation

  2. a nonlogically necessary truth; law of nature See also nomological

  3. the philosophical doctrine that the authority of the legal system or of certain laws derives from their justifiability by reason, and indeed that a legal system which cannot be so justified has no authority

"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
natural law Cultural  

  1. The doctrine that human affairs should be governed by ethical principles that are part of the very nature of things and that can be understood by reason. The first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence contain a clear statement of the doctrine.

Etymology

Origin of natural law

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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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.

This is well-trod philosophical ground — referencing “negative” and “positive” rights, natural law and all the usual back and forth about originalism and whether the Constitution is living or static.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Mr. Persico declares Locke “one of liberalism’s founding fathers” for weaving all of these strands together—“the image of God, natural law, reason and rights”—in his political philosophy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

This is a suppression of the natural law.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2024

Still, if any natural law applies to California, it is that what comes down will eventually go up.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2024

Because Obie was certain of one thing as if it was a natural law, like gravity—Renault wasn’t going to sell the chocolates.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

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.