Roman law

American  

noun

1. the system of jurisprudence elaborated by the ancient Romans, a strong and varied influence on the legal systems of many countries.

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Roman law British  

noun

1. the system of jurisprudence of ancient Rome, codified under Justinian and forming the basis of many modern legal systems

2. another term for civil law

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Etymology

Origin of Roman law

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

Roman law considered the unborn a “potential person.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 10, 2022

Under Roman law slaves were considered property and had no legal personhood.

From Reuters • Nov. 6, 2021

Roman citizens could always appeal to Roman law if they wanted to, even if they lived in a province far from Rome.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

Roman law required that a baby be rescued from a dead mother’s womb.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2019

Throughout Europe, wherever the influence of Roman law was felt, the law concerned itself with the factum—the deed, or crime.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton