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.

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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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of natural law

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Compare meaning

How does natural-law compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• natural law vs. positive law

Example Sentences

Part of the problem is that AI feeds on the internet, often a flurry of junk, and was designed by people who lack a foundational understanding of natural law and human nature.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

The problem with gender essentialism is that even a solitary divergence suggests that the “natural law” is not, in fact, a law.

From Salon

This is a suppression of the natural law.

From BBC

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

From New York Times

Related Words

• goodness
• righteousness