private law

American  

noun

1. a branch of law dealing with the legal relationships of private individuals.

2. a statute affecting only one person or a small number of persons directly.

---

private law British  

noun

1. the branch of law that deals with the rights and duties of private individuals and the relations between them Compare public law

---

Etymology

Origin of private law

First recorded in 1765–75

Compare meaning

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

• public law vs. private law

Example Sentences

“The billing rate is high or not insignificant at private law firms,” Bonta said.

From Los Angeles Times

At the same, he’s started increasingly outsourcing major cases to private law firms.

From Salon

He worked for private law firms between 1973 and 1996.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's an individual against a business organisation which can adopt a number of tactics to avoid private law actions," he said.

From BBC

Jin Hee Lee, strategic initiatives director at the Legal Defense Fund, is concerned not only about the surge in cases private law firms and nonprofits like hers will face but also about budget cuts that have left resources scarce to fight prolonged court battles.

From Los Angeles Times