positive law
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of positive law
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Compare meaning
How does positive-law compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
"Natural" means without the enforcement of positive law, man-made law.
From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2015
“Freedom Riders” implicitly and ably conveys the powerlessness of positive law in the face of a toxic cultural emotionalism.
From New York Times • May 15, 2011
If valid, they place all persons within their reach under the obligation of positive law, binding equally those who assent and those who do not assent.
From Time Magazine Archive
You should word a letter of advice delicately, stating your opinion frankly and freely, but giving it as an opinion, not as a positive law.
From The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Hartley, Florence
The right of the master exists not by force of the law of nature or nations, but by virtue only of the positive law of the State.”
From The Impending Crisis of the South How to Meet It by Helper, Hinton Rowan
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.
