rule of law

noun phrase

: a situation in which the laws of a country are obeyed by everyone

The courts uphold the rule of law.

Examples of rule of law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seven judges described a flood of cases after thousands of arrests; Judge Patrick Schiltz said the surge threatened the rule of law and accused ICE of defying nearly 100 court orders. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

To harness those resources, however, the region will have to overcome profound infrastructure deficits, strengthen the rule of law, and accelerate regional integration. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

The column exuded a decency, a level-headedness and a reverence for the rule of law as the bedrock of our freedoms … that were sheer Kyl. — Lauren Weiner, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2026

In no agency have the stakes of this quandary been higher than in the Department of Justice, whose mission is to uphold the rule of law. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for rule of law

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

Legal Definition

rule of law

1

: an authoritative legal doctrine, principle, or precept applied to the facts of an appropriate case

adopting the rule of law that is most persuasive in light of precedent, reason and policy

—Wright v. Wright, 904 P.2d 403 (1995)

2

: government by law : adherence to due process of law