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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Global online forum Reddit on Friday filed a court challenge to Australia’s world-first law that bans Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on the world’s most popular social media platforms. ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026 Utah enacted the first law, last May, supporting plug-in solar, and now some 30 pieces of similar legislation have been introduced around the United States. Jeff Brady, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for first law

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20law. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster