substantive right
noun
a right, as life, liberty, or property, recognized for its own sake and as part of the natural legal order of society.
Origin of substantive right
1First recorded in 1935–40
Words Nearby substantive right
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use substantive right in a sentence
The substantive right often supplies the place of ought, as "farmer A has a right to pay his tax."
Browse