legalistic

British

/ ˌliːɡəˈlɪstɪk /

adjective

of, relating to, or exhibiting strict adherence to the law, esp to the letter of the law rather than its spirit

"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

legalistically

adverb

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.

See Examples For:

legalistic

Instead, the justices spent the hearing as they customarily do, engaged in a complex and legalistic discussion about how to analyze ambiguous text and how to weigh historical evidence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

But the Thiam saga shows how identity issues, even in a more legalistic form and in this hopefully more peaceful era, can still weigh heavily.

From BBC ● May 7, 2025

Ensign, the DOJ lawyer, tried to distract Boasberg with legalistic arguments claiming that it had not technically violated his commands.

From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2025

The retired brass and veterans organizations added emotionally charged addenda to that legalistic document.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025

Don’t be picky or legalistic as to where its paw actually landed.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023