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

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

In past versions or retreads, the monster is sometimes the butt of the joke, or simply called Frankenstein (even though that’s his maker’s name) and afforded little emotional window in service of broader paeans to the dangers of playing God and meddling with natural law. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025

The series, on the air from 1957 and 1963, is a resonant symbol of ’50s nostalgia, one to which conservative Catholics have returned as a template for modeling natural law. —Peter H. Schwartz, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 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.