Phrase guide

rule of law

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The doctrine that no individual is above the law and that everyone must answer to it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: capitalized, often, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The maxim whereby governmental decisions are made by applying known legal principles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rule, law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a state of order in which events conform to the law

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: order

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: estáu de derechu — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Azerbaijani: qanunun aliliyi — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Belarusian: вяршэнства закону (vjaršenstva zakónu) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Belarusian: вяршэнства права (vjaršenstva prava) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Bulgarian: върховенство на закона (vǎrhovenstvo na zakona) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Catalan: imperi de la llei — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Catalan: estat de dret — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Chinese Mandarin: 法治 (fǎzhì) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Czech: právní stát — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Finnish: laillisuusperiaate — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • French: État de droit — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Galician: estado de dereito — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Georgian: კანონის უზენაესობა (ḳanonis uzenaesoba) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Georgian: სამართლის უზენაესობა (samartlis uzenaesoba) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Georgian: სამართლისა და კანონის უზენაესობის პრინციპი (samartlisa da ḳanonis uzenaesobis ṗrinciṗi) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • German: Rechtstaatlichkeit — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • German: Rechtsstaat — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Hebrew: שלטון החוק (shiltón hakhók) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Hungarian: joguralom — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Indonesian: supremasi hukum — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Irish: forlámhas an dlí — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Japanese: 法の支配 (hō no shihai) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Kazakh: заң билігі (zañ bilıgı) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Khmer: នីតិរដ្ឋ (ni teh roth) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Korean: 법치 (beopchi) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Korean: 법치주의 (beopchijuui) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Polish: praworządność — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Romanian: stat de drept — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Russian: верхове́нство пра́ва (verxovénstvo práva) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Russian: верхове́нство зако́на (verxovénstvo zakóna) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Russian: но́рма пра́ва (nórma práva) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Spanish: imperio de la ley — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Spanish: Estado de derecho — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Swedish: rättsstat — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Tajik: волоияти қонун (voloyiyat-i qonun) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Thai: นิติธรรม (ní-dtì-tam) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Ukrainian: верхове́нство пра́ва (verxovénstvo práva) — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Vietnamese: pháp quyền — the doctrine that no individual is above the law
  • Hungarian: jogállam — the maxim whereby governmental decisions are made by applying known legal principles
  • Hungarian: jogállamiság — the maxim whereby governmental decisions are made by applying known legal principles
  • Polish: praworządność — the maxim whereby governmental decisions are made by applying known legal principles