The King's peace
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The general peace of law- abiding subjects; originally the protection secured by the king to those employed on his business.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The King's peace” mean?
The general peace of law- abiding subjects; originally the protection secured by the king to those employed on his business.
Is “The King's peace” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.