law of the jungle
B2/C1Informal (though can appear in formal commentary)
Definition
Meaning
The principle that only the strongest and most ruthless survive, without rules or morality.
A situation or system characterised by ruthless competition and a lack of order, where power and self-interest dominate.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always used metaphorically in modern English. Implies amorality, chaos, and the triumph of brute force over justice or cooperation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference; usage is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Strongly negative in both, evoking images of anarchy and uncivilised behaviour.
Frequency
Equally common in political, social, and business commentary in both the UK and US.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
It's the [adjective] law of the jungle in [place/industry].The [situation] descended into the law of the jungle.[Subject] operates by the law of the jungle.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a jungle out there.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe unregulated markets or fiercely competitive corporate environments where ethics are ignored.
Academic
Appears in political science, sociology, and economics to critique theories of radical individualism or failed states.
Everyday
Used to complain about a chaotic, unfair, or aggressively competitive situation (e.g., trying to get a seat on a crowded train).
Technical
Rare in hard sciences; used metaphorically in some biological discussions about competition, though 'survival of the fittest' is more precise.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The industry has been completely jungle-lawed by the new deregulation.
American English
- They're jungle-lawing each other in that sales department.
adverb
British English
- They competed law-of-the-jungle style for the last ticket.
American English
- The companies were acting law-of-the-jungle to secure the contract.
adjective
British English
- It was a law-of-the-jungle approach to management.
American English
- The negotiations took on a law-of-the-jungle intensity.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- In the playground, sometimes it feels like the law of the jungle.
- The city centre on a Friday night is the law of the jungle – everyone pushes to get into the bars.
- Without proper regulation, the cryptocurrency market can become a law of the jungle for inexperienced investors.
- The geopolitics of the region are governed by a crude law of the jungle, where military might consistently overrides diplomatic efforts.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of Mowgli in 'The Jungle Book' – the original stories highlighted the harsh, unwritten rules of the wild, which this phrase now applies to human society.
Conceptual Metaphor
HUMAN SOCIETY IS A JUNGLE / COMPETITION IS WAR
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'закон джунглей' if the context is mild competition; it's excessively strong. For 'жесткая конкуренция', 'tough competition' is better.
- Do not confuse with 'правила игры' ('rules of the game'), which implies agreed-upon rules, the opposite of this idiom's meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe simply 'a natural order' without the negative connotation of chaos and amorality.
- Incorrectly capitalising it as a proper noun (unless directly quoting Kipling's work).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'the law of the jungle' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It was popularised by Rudyard Kipling's 1894 collection 'The Jungle Book', where it referred to the actual rules followed by the animals. Its metaphorical use for human society developed later.
They are very close synonyms. 'Survival of the fittest' is a biological term from evolutionary theory, while 'law of the jungle' is a more literary and dramatic phrase emphasising chaos and the absence of rules.
Almost never. It carries a strongly negative connotation, criticising a situation as brutal, unfair, and uncivilised. Using it positively would be highly ironic or controversial.
The fixed idiom is almost always singular: 'the law of the jungle'. The plural form is rare and not standard.