From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprivate lawˈprivate ˌlaw noun [uncountable] lawSCL the part of the law relating to ordinary people, private property, and relationships
Examples from the Corpus
private law• Instead we have to give it to a private law firm known for its political clout.• Rather we should begin by asking why we have a distinction between public and private law.• There is no private law firm where the defeated candidates can retire.• The law of contract, tort and property are central areas of private law.• The question of whether, as a matter of private law, individual solicitors were entitled to a pay-out, was irrelevant.• A new range of private law orders was introduced to provide for the care and upbringing of children.• Public law can, of course, be contrasted with private law.From Longman Business Dictionaryprivate lawˌprivate ˈlaw [uncountable]LAW the area of law that deals with disagreements between people and organizations, rather than with criminal activityDamages can only be sought in respect of wrongs recognized in private law. → law 