lawyer
Americannoun
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a person whose profession is to represent clients in a court of law or to advise or act for clients in other legal matters.
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New Testament. an interpreter of the Mosaic Law. Luke 14:3.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb phrase
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lawyer
First recorded in 1350–1400, lawyer is from the Middle English word lawyere. See law 1, -ier 1
Explanation
A lawyer is a professional who is qualified to offer advice about the law or represent someone in legal matters. A lawyer can also be called an attorney, a solicitor, a counselor, a barrister, or — pejoratively — an ambulance chaser. A lawyer can handle all sorts of legal matters from drafting wills to patent claims to defending people against criminal charges. Qualified lawyers have to attend law school and pass a bar exam in order to practice law. Lawyer, of course, means one who practices the law. "Law" itself comes from the Old Norse root word lag, which means something laid down or fixed.
Vocabulary lists containing lawyer
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
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Legal Lingo, List 1
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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.
The petition says Reiner's inability to access the trust money meant he could not pay the lawyer.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
He also questioned a $1-million loan from the trust of Peter Grossman’s special needs brother and other transfers, including nearly $200,000 to a lawyer friend.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
He adopted it last year after his daughter prevailed upon him through the writings of Holocaust survivor and lawyer Raphael Lemkin, credited with coining the term.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
A lawyer for Bankman-Fried did not reply to a request for comment.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The decision was that part of Sancho's wardrobe would be like that of a lawyer or judge, and part like a military uniform.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.
