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private law
noun
: a branch of law concerned with private persons, property, and relationships compare public law
Examples of private law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chaney touted his experience building his private law office and his four terms in the Idaho House, including three years as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
—Rachel Spacek, Idaho Statesman, 1 May 2024
Reuters Television footage showed the roof of the ornate building, a private law academy, all but destroyed after the strike.
—Reuters, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
Prior to joining the court, Timmer was a state Court of Appeals judge and worked in private law firms.
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Jennifer, 41, is an energy attorney for a private law firm.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Burke had been accused of pressing real estate developers to hire his private law firm in exchange for official favors such as lucrative tax breaks.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
The reporting on the New York lawsuit also disclosed that the climate advocacy groups advanced funds to private law firms to be used to research and prepare the climate lawsuits for the state’s attorneys to file.
—Ed Hirs, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
The school board met to review findings from investigations by a private law firm and the county’s inspector general of how the school system handled allegations of employee misconduct.
—Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024
Planned Parenthood is also a plaintiff in the Kentucky lawsuit, and both are represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and two private law firms.
—Daniella Silva, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'private 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
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near private law
Cite this Entry
“Private law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20law. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
Legal Definition
private law
noun
: a branch of law concerned with private persons, property, and relationships compare public law
More from Merriam-Webster on private law
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about private law
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