case law

noun

: law established by judicial decision in cases

Examples of case law in a Sentence

Case law says that a person has a right to privacy.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Pierce County prosecutors previously declined to charge Keeler’s opponent, citing their inability to prove third-degree rape beyond a reasonable doubt or overcome a consent defense under case law governing athletic contests. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Wong said Hawaii case law prohibits juror testimony on the internal mental processes of other jurors. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 The appellate court not only ordered the Midway District’s height limit restored, but published its decision as a binding precedent on CEQA case law for lower courts. — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Attorneys for State Farm apologized to a court for submitting legal briefings rife with artificial intelligence hallucinations and nonexistent case law, the latest example of lawyers bolstering their arguments with precedents made up by a chatbot. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for case law

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of case law was in 1731

Rhymes for case law

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Browse Nearby Words

case knife
case law
caseless
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Cite this Entry

“Case law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/case%20law. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

case law

noun
: law established by judicial decisions in cases as distinguished from law created by legislation

called also decisional law

see also common law

More from Merriam-Webster on case law

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about case law

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