Meanings
plural nations of laws
- USA nation-state that is subject to the rule of law.
If we are to be a nation of laws, we must follow the rule of law consistently and not abandon it when times get tough.
2012, Peter Jan Honigsberg, Our Nation Unhinged, page 161 more example
We talk a lot about being "a nation of laws," but some of the laws found on the books of states, counties and municipalities are a bit much.
1976, Carpenter - Volume 96–97, page 18
Origin
Shortened from earlier phrase "nation of laws and not of men," a common expression of the rule of law.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans regstaat
- regstaatnation-state subject to rule of law
Bulgarian правова държава
- правова държава (pravova dăržava)nation-state subject to rule of law
Danish retsstat
- retsstatnation-state subject to rule of law
Dutch rechtsstaat
- rechtsstaatnation-state subject to rule of law
Finnish oikeusvaltio
- oikeusvaltionation-state subject to rule of law
French État de droit
- État de droitnation-state subject to rule of law
German Rechtsstaat
- Rechtsstaatnation-state subject to rule of law
Indonesian negara hukum
- negara hukumnation-state subject to rule of law
Italian stato di diritto
- stato di dirittonation-state subject to rule of law
Korean 법치국가
- 법치국가 (beopchigukga)nation-state subject to rule of law
Norwegian rettsstat
- rettsstatnation-state subject to rule of law
Portuguese estado de direito
- estado de direitonation-state subject to rule of law
Swedish rättsstat
- rättsstatnation-state subject to rule of law
Cite this entry
nation of laws. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nation%20of%20laws
“nation of laws.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nation%20of%20laws. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nation of laws,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nation%20of%20laws.
Source: nation of laws on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.