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Synonyms

lawyer

American  
[law-yer, loi-er] / ˈlɔ yər, ˈlɔɪ ər /

noun

  1. a person whose profession is to represent clients in a court of law or to advise or act for clients in other legal matters.

  2. New Testament. an interpreter of the Mosaic Law. Luke 14:3.

verb (used without object)

  1. to work as a lawyer; practice law.

verb (used with object)

  1. to submit (a case, document, or the like) to a lawyer for examination, advice, clarification, etc.

verb phrase

  1. lawyer up to hire a lawyer, especially when there is a perceived risk of being sued or charged with a crime.

    It’s time to lawyer up to protect yourself and your family.
lawyer British  
/ ˈlɔːjə, ˈlɔɪə /

noun

  1. a member of the legal profession, esp a solicitor See also advocate barrister solicitor

  2. a popular name for burbot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • delawyer verb (used with object)
  • lawyerlike adjective
  • lawyerly adjective
  • nonlawyer noun
  • underlawyer noun
  • unlawyerlike adjective
  • unlawyerly adjective

Etymology

Origin of lawyer

First recorded in 1350–1400, lawyer is from the Middle English word lawyere. See law 1, -ier 1

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.

Kulibayev's lawyers told us he has never engaged in bribery or corruption, and the funds used to acquire Sunninghill Park were entirely legitimate.

From BBC

His new lawyer, public defender Kimberly Greene, met Reiner and asked for time to prepare for the case before her new client entered a plea.

From BBC

Some of Gustav and Julia’s children become communist activists, leading shadowy lives on the run from the czarist police, while others are pillars of society, becoming lawyers or marrying doctors.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tech companies and lawyers for the families either didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment or declined to comment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chen’s U.S. lawyers and Prince Group didn’t respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.