common law (com¦mon law)

noun

• 1 [mass noun] the part of English law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes. Compare with case law, statute law.
• the body of English law as adopted and adapted by the different States of the US. Compare with civil law.

• 2 [as modifier] denoting a partner in a marriage recognized in some jurisdictions (excluding the UK) as valid by common law, though not brought about by a civil or ecclesiastical ceremony: a common-law husband
• denoting a partner in a relationship in which a man and woman cohabit for a period long enough to suggest stability.