first law
noun
: the most important principle
He teaches his students that balance is the first law of architecture.
Examples of first law in a Sentence
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The first law establishing a line of succession, signed by President George Washington in 1792, determined that after the vice president, the Senate president pro tempore, followed by the speaker of the House, would ascend to the presidency.
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Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
But an imperfect first law still moves the needle.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The Piedmont Police Department was the first law enforcement agency in the country to launch an automatic license plate reader transparency portal in partnership with Flock Safety in 2021.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Australia passed a world-first law banning children under 16 from accessing social media in December, and a handful of other countries, including in Europe, want to follow suit.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
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Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
But an imperfect first law still moves the needle.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The Piedmont Police Department was the first law enforcement agency in the country to launch an automatic license plate reader transparency portal in partnership with Flock Safety in 2021.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Australia passed a world-first law banning children under 16 from accessing social media in December, and a handful of other countries, including in Europe, want to follow suit.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first law
Cite this Entry
“First law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20law. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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