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
He also said he understood he had "common law employment rights", adding "this will be better understood by lawyers than by me".
From BBC • Mar. 11, 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
"What concerns me a bit is you're encouraging us to adopt a common law rule that would essentially eliminate liability," Jackson said.
From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025
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
