legalism
Americannoun
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strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
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Theology.
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the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
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the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
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(initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of legalism
Explanation
Legalism is a strict, literal interpretation of the law, with no consideration of specific circumstances. In law, using legalism as a guiding principle means looking at established court decisions and congressional acts, then deciding cases based only on those. If a hungry person steals food, legalism would require a judge to find them guilty of theft based on established law, without any consideration of their specific circumstances. Legalism is derived from the Latin lex, "rule."
Vocabulary lists containing legalism
Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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Chapter 10: Early China
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Witness the silly legalism of his concern for whether RAF bases would be used to serve offensive rather than defensive purposes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
And he seems less driven by moralism than bound by legalism.
From Washington Post • May 24, 2019
And now he’s trapped by the same legalism that freed him.
From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2019
Yes, we established this culture of legalism precisely by saying that people are no longer guilty of things for which they weren’t prosecuted and of which they weren’t convicted.
From Salon • Jul. 1, 2018
And it is to the genius of Israel that we owe that rigorously logical interpretation of the axiomata media of legalism, which issued in due season in Pharisaism.
From What Is and What Might Be A Study of Education in General and Elementary Education in Particular by Holmes, Edmond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
