decree nisi

[nahy-sahy]

noun

Law.

1. a decree, especially of divorce, that will become absolute at a later date.

decree nisi

/ ˈnaɪsaɪ /

noun

1. a provisional decree, esp in divorce proceedings, which will later be made absolute unless cause is shown why it should not Compare decree absolute

Word History and Origins

Origin of decree nisi¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

A decree nisi was due to be granted in March 2021.

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His children cried, last August, when he announced he would be leaving, when he filed the paperwork to complete his decree nisi, and that was enough to persuade him to stay.

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And it replaces the terms "decree nisi" and "decree absolute" with "conditional order" and "final order".

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But while the arrangements are due for review in a year, the deal looks more like a decree nisi than a trial separation.

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Normally an “enquiry agent” would “call around with photographs, inspect the register and take a statement, which would eventually satisfy the court’s requirements for an unopposed decree nisi.”

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Related Words

• annulment 
• breakup 
• dissolution 
• separation 
• split