rule of law
89
3.7
- noun
- /ruːl əv lɔː/
- Formal
:
estado de derecho
- In a democracy, everyone must adhere to the rule of law to ensure fairness and justice.
- human rights and the rule of law
- democracy and the rule of law
- transparency and the rule of law
And we're not abandoning the rule of law when we send them back.
- And we're not abandoning the rule of law when we send them back.
- And that was the beginning of the end, because the rule of law matters.
- She is a white, privileged woman who believes the rule of law doesn't apply to her.
- You cannot undermine the rule of law and expect to retain a stable system.
- But we need to, we need to be guided by the rule of law in the United States.
- Well, one of the great conflicts about the rule of law in governance comes up during the Civil War.
- And I think that certainly respect for human rights and the rule of law need to be among those shortlist.
- A failed state does not preserve the rule of law.
- They start okaying that it's OK for us to break the law and the rule of law doesn't matter.
- You know, in my, my view of him is that he stands for the rule of law.
- This is an affront to the actual rule of law.
- We're restoring the rule of law and protecting our cherished Second Amendment.
Examples
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All of these principles are the pillars upon which the rule of law in a democratic state stands.
Academic text (1990) -
In short, the rule of law that flows from the separation of powers has preserved our freedom.
Academic text (2008) -
Go to areas that respect the rule of law, that respect title.
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And that was the beginning of the end, because the rule of law matters.
-
But we think the rule of law is important in ways both big and small.
Academic text (2008) -
A united Germany will be a free democracy based on the rule of law.
Academic text (1990) -
We must strengthen our commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
Academic text (2011) -
We owe it to mankind to preserve the rule of law for future generations.
Fiction book (1999) -
He is a leader devoted to the rule of law.
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You cannot undermine the rule of law and expect to retain a stable system.
Synonyms
3
4.6
A basic rule that guides laws and judges
Antonyms
How Lawful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'rule' + 'of' + 'law' and a learner who knows the words will grasp it refers to rules relating to law or governance; however the specific abstract, institutional sense — that everyone and institutions are constrained and governed by law and its fair administration — is a specialised, normative concept not fully predictable from the individual words alone. Cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g. French 'État de droit', Spanish 'estado de derecho' or phrases translating as 'rule of law') increase recognisability, so the expression is partially but not completely transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
The phrase rule of law gives a simple picture: the word rule here means 'to be in charge' and law means the written rules that govern everyone. So it means 'everyone must follow the same rules' and that leaders are not above the law.