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.
Blockaders even developed a legal argument to justify their actions, drawing on the common law defense of necessity, which allows someone to break a law to achieve a greater moral good.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 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
Chief Justice John Roberts stressed in the Jarkesy majority opinion that government penalties “designed to punish or deter the wrongdoer” are a “prototypical common law remedy.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Under Islamic law, which operates alongside common law in Pakistan, the family of a killed relative can accept financial compensation from the perpetrators in exchange for forgiveness, leaving them free from prosecution.
From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025
Alabama and common law pleading, for instance, was a subject so ethereal in nature that Henry passed it only by memorizing the book.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
