natural law

noun

: a body of law or a specific principle held to be derived from nature and binding upon human society in the absence of or in addition to positive law

Examples of natural law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Slavery, Spooner argued, was inherently incompatible with natural law and therefore incompatible with the Constitution. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026

The nearly 3-minute spot is almost entirely action, as the Sullys, the family central to Cameron's series, engage in battle on Pandora, a planet ruled by different natural laws than Earth. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025

How is our current world ordered, and to what extent is that a result determined by those in power rather than a function of natural law? —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025

In the research lab, my colleagues and I discovered that, when treated according to natural laws, the heart could be stopped, repaired, and revived. —Russell M. Nelson, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for natural law

• avoirdupois
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada

Legal Definition

natural law

noun

: a body of law or a specific principle of law that is held to be derived from nature and binding upon human society in the absence of or in addition to positive law

Note: While natural law, based on a notion of timeless order, does not receive as much credence as it did formerly, it was an important influence on the enumeration of natural rights by Thomas Jefferson and others.