law of nature
C1/C2Formal, Academic, Scientific
Definition
Meaning
A universal and invariable principle that describes or governs a fundamental aspect of the natural world, derived from empirical observation and considered to operate independently of human will or society.
A principle so fundamental that it is seen as inescapably true, used metaphorically to describe observed regularities in human behavior or social systems. In philosophy, it can refer to a descriptive generalization about nature or a prescriptive moral law discoverable by reason (natural law).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun phrase. While often used in the plural (laws of nature), it can be used in the singular to refer to the concept as a whole. In scientific contexts, it is synonymous with 'scientific law' or 'physical law'. In philosophical contexts, it is distinguished from 'natural law', which is ethical, but this distinction is often blurred in general usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or syntactic differences. Both use the term identically in scientific and philosophical discourse.
Connotations
Slight tendency for British English to retain more of the classical, philosophical 'natural law' connotations, while American English may lean slightly more towards the empirical, scientific interpretation.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in academic and formal registers in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
It is a law of nature that [clause]According to a fundamental law of nature, ...[Subject] follows/obeys the laws of nature.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's the law of the jungle (related but distinct, implying ruthless competition).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; may appear metaphorically: 'In this market, it's a law of nature that only the most efficient survive.'
Academic
Common in physics, philosophy, and biology to denote inviolable principles like gravity or thermodynamics.
Everyday
Used metaphorically or humorously: 'It's a law of nature that toast always lands butter-side down.'
Technical
Precise term for empirically derived, mathematically expressed principles that predict natural phenomena.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The theory seeks to naturalise these principles, but it cannot law-give for the entire cosmos.
American English
- You can't legislate for the universe; nature's patterns are simply observed, not enacted.
adverb
British English
- The system functions naturally according to its inherent laws. (Not directly derived).
American English
- The events unfolded naturally, as if dictated by an unseen code.
adjective
British English
- The natural-law tradition has a long history. (Here 'natural-law' is a compound adjective).
American English
- His argument was based on natural-law philosophy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Gravity is a well-known law of nature.
- It seems to be a law of nature that ice melts in the sun.
- No machine can operate with 100% efficiency; this is a fundamental law of nature called thermodynamics.
- Some philosophers argue that moral principles are also laws of nature discoverable by reason.
- The purported perpetual motion machine was dismissed outright as it appeared to contravene several established laws of nature.
- Hume's problem of induction challenges how we can be certain that the laws of nature observed today will hold true tomorrow.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of NATURE'S LAW BOOK. Just as a country has a legal code, nature has its own set of inviolable rules, like gravity, written in the language of mathematics.
Conceptual Metaphor
NATURE IS A LAW-GIVER / THE UNIVERSE IS A GOVERNED SYSTEM. This metaphor frames the natural world as operating under a set of prescribed, rational rules.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'естественное право' (natural rights/justice). 'Law of nature' is 'закон природы'.
- Avoid using 'природный закон' as it is less idiomatic; 'закон природы' is the fixed phrase.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'laws of the nature' (incorrect article use). Correct: 'laws of nature'.
- Confusing 'law of nature' (descriptive, scientific) with 'natural law' (often prescriptive, ethical) in philosophical writing.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the phrase 'law of nature' used in its primary, non-metaphorical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A 'law of nature' (e.g., Newton's law of gravity) describes *what* happens in nature, often mathematically. A 'theory' (e.g., theory of evolution) explains *why* and *how* it happens, encompassing a broad framework of evidence and laws.
In mainstream science, laws of nature are considered constant across time and space. New discoveries may refine or supersede our *understanding* of them (e.g., Einstein's gravity vs. Newton's), but the underlying principles themselves are assumed to be immutable.
In careful usage, a 'law of nature' is a descriptive scientific principle. 'Natural law' typically refers to a prescriptive ethical or philosophical system positing that moral principles are inherent in nature and discernible by reason.
'Nature' here is an uncountable, abstract concept referring to the inherent forces and properties of the physical world as a whole, not a specific instance. We treat it like 'society' or 'physics'—we say 'laws of physics', not 'laws of the physics'.