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.
Litigation against an administration often requires vast resources — experienced lawyers versed in the relevant case law and scores of paralegals doing research across thousands of pages of evidence. Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025 But under recent case law — including the Structured Asset Sales v. Sheeran decision — courts have become increasingly focused on what can be dissected and filtered out on paper, rather than what is felt through the music itself. Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Different Approaches, Complementary Strengths The two AI technologies improved legal work in distinct ways: RAG: Retrieval-Augmented Generation Vincent AI, which utilizes RAG technology, integrates generative AI with legal source materials such as case law and statutes. Lars Daniel, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Trump Lawyers 'Vague Out' Alsup also criticized Trump administration lawyers for failing to address the past case law. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Case law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/case%20law. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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