common law

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Justice Elena Kagan said the administration was seeking to undo a legal tradition of birthright citizenship that dates back to English common law.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s true that our common law and constitutional precedents have long protected parents’ relationship with their children—and in our view, with good reason.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

It can be traced to English common law, which imposed a duty on parents to prevent foreseeable damage or harm done by their children.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

The English jurist’s “History of the Pleas of the Crown,” published posthumously in 1736, influenced the development of common law in England, the British colonies and, eventually, the United States.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Congress had moved gradual emancipation off its political agenda; its decision in the spring of 1790 became a precedent with the force of common law.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis