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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The decision conflicted with decades of case law. — ABC News, 18 May 2026 One way to reduce the risk of this happening is to connect the AI model to a body of legal material, such as case law and treatises. — Ellen Sheng, CNBC, 19 May 2026 There are many situations in court where the judge has the discretion to make a ruling one way or another – and many instances where the statutory and appellate case law dictate what choices can be made. — Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 5 May 2026 Gouveia cited case law and explained in detail how prior decisions left the Fourth District Court of Appeal with no choice but to find in his favor. — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 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 7 Jul. 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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