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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.

The lawyer said these efforts enticed users to a "treadmill of continuous checking" for new content.

From Barron's

Trade lawyers everywhere are thrilled by the complex lawsuits that will get under way as companies seek redress for illegal tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ekneligoda's lawyer said his client denies the allegations, that there are ulterior motives to the allegations, and that a witness supports his version of events.

From BBC

The presence of two Russian nationals on board the Boracay was confirmed by the lawyer of the Chinese captain.

From Barron's

His former lawyer, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case last month for reasons that he said were beyond his and his client's control.

From BBC

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.