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
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The complaint was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, D.C., private law firms and the legal organization Democracy Forward. Curtis Bunn, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025 He was entitled to his state pension as a retired officer and considered joining an acquaintance’s private law practice in Kyiv. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 President Trump on Friday opened a third attack against a private law firm, restricting the business activities of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison just days after a federal judge ruled such measures appeared to violate the Constitution. Devlin Barrett, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2025 President Donald Trump expanded his attack on private law firms Friday, issuing an executive order that targets law firm Paul Weiss' contracts and its employees' security clearances. Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for private law

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private law was in 1773

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Private law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20law. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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

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