com·mon-law
ˈkä-mən-ˌlȯ 
1
: of, relating to, or based on the common law
2
: relating to or based on a common-law marriage
: the body of law developed in England primarily from judicial decisions based on custom and precedent, unwritten in statute or code, and constituting the basis of the English legal system and of the system in all of the U.S. except Louisiana
Examples of common-law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
Cora Stewart traveled to Greece with author Stephen Crane and later became his common-law wife.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
His ancestor Manuelita Guzman (1844–1916) is buried in the Historic Pinal Cemetery, also the resting place of Wyatt Earp’s common-law wife, Mattie Earp.
—Anita Snow, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023
The common-law concept of creating a public nuisance was developed back in the twelfth century to prevent the blockage of waterways.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
Her voice quavered recalling women who killed themselves after G.I.s who had taken them as common-law wives subsequently abandoned them and their children.
—Choe Sang-Hun Jean Chung, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Meanwhile, Union Pacific says the area is governed by complex common-law rules.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Related Somerville celebrates another first for polyamorous people The Winter Hill guys had wives, girlfriends, common-law wives, teenage girlfriends, and more girlfriends.
—Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023
In a concurring opinion, Justice Jerod Tufte added that such a reading would logically fit with the state constitution’s protections for the common-law right to self-defense.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2023
Amber Polk, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2023
The court’s practice (taken from British common law) of ruling for or against a minister or government decision based on the concept of the broader public good will be scrapped.
—Jo-Ann Mort, The New Republic, 26 July 2023
The legislation goes through a history tying the clause to English common law and laying out a legal case for how the West has understood obtaining citizenship, including in Roman law.
—Breccan F. Thies, Washington Examiner, 25 July 2023
The United Kingdom and New Zealand rely on common law, bodies of legal thinking and precedent developed over centuries, which serve a de facto constitutional role.
—Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 12 July 2023
The city’s legal system allows overseas judges in the city’s courts, and lawyers from other common law jurisdictions can work on cases where their expertise is needed.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 29 Nov. 2022
Public nuisance cases, which go back nearly a millennium under English common law, are historically based on public health or environmental concerns – typically a situation where there is some sort of unreasonable or untenable hazard that affects a wide swath of people.
—Cyrus Farivar, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
The grand jury process, meanwhile, was adopted from British common law.
—Maya Wiley, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
It was developed under the English common law system (pdf) in the 18th century, and has since become a tenet of American jurisprudence.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2023
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Adjective
It’s said that her common-law husband, a white man, had refused to legally marry her, and had kept their daughter behind.
—oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
Cora Stewart traveled to Greece with author Stephen Crane and later became his common-law wife.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
His ancestor Manuelita Guzman (1844–1916) is buried in the Historic Pinal Cemetery, also the resting place of Wyatt Earp’s common-law wife, Mattie Earp.
—Anita Snow, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023
The common-law concept of creating a public nuisance was developed back in the twelfth century to prevent the blockage of waterways.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
Her voice quavered recalling women who killed themselves after G.I.s who had taken them as common-law wives subsequently abandoned them and their children.
—Choe Sang-Hun Jean Chung, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Meanwhile, Union Pacific says the area is governed by complex common-law rules.
—Michael Lee, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Related Somerville celebrates another first for polyamorous people The Winter Hill guys had wives, girlfriends, common-law wives, teenage girlfriends, and more girlfriends.
—Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023
In a concurring opinion, Justice Jerod Tufte added that such a reading would logically fit with the state constitution’s protections for the common-law right to self-defense.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2023
Noun
The federal youth climate case Juliana v. United States, which was recently revived, relies on the Fifth and Ninth amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the common law public trust doctrine.
—Amber Polk, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2023
The court’s practice (taken from British common law) of ruling for or against a minister or government decision based on the concept of the broader public good will be scrapped.
—Jo-Ann Mort, The New Republic, 26 July 2023
The legislation goes through a history tying the clause to English common law and laying out a legal case for how the West has understood obtaining citizenship, including in Roman law.
—Breccan F. Thies, Washington Examiner, 25 July 2023
The United Kingdom and New Zealand rely on common law, bodies of legal thinking and precedent developed over centuries, which serve a de facto constitutional role.
—Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 12 July 2023
The city’s legal system allows overseas judges in the city’s courts, and lawyers from other common law jurisdictions can work on cases where their expertise is needed.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 29 Nov. 2022
Public nuisance cases, which go back nearly a millennium under English common law, are historically based on public health or environmental concerns – typically a situation where there is some sort of unreasonable or untenable hazard that affects a wide swath of people.
—Cyrus Farivar, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
The grand jury process, meanwhile, was adopted from British common law.
—Maya Wiley, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
It was developed under the English common law system (pdf) in the 18th century, and has since become a tenet of American jurisprudence.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 18 Jan. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'common-law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near common-law
Cite this Entry
“Common-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/common-law. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
common law
noun
: a group of legal practices and traditions originating in judges' decisions in earlier cases and in social customs and having the same force in most of the U.S. as if passed into law by a legislative body
Legal Definition
common law
1 of 2 noun
: a body of law that is based on custom and general principles and embodied in case law and that serves as precedent or is applied to situations not covered by statute
the common law of torts
: as
a
: the body of law that was first developed in the English courts of law as distinguished from equity and that allows for particular remedies (as damages or replevin)
in suits at common law…the right of trial by jury shall be preserved—U.S. Constitution amend. VII
compare equity sense 2
U.S. Constitution amend. VII
b
: the body of law developed in England that is the basis of U.S. federal law and of state law in all states except Louisiana compare civil law sense 2, statutory law
common-law
2 of 2 adjective1
: of, relating to, or based on the common law
common-law immunity
2
: relating to or based on a common-law marriage
her common-law husband
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