legal aid

American

noun

free legal service to persons unable to pay for a lawyer.

legal aid British

noun

a means-tested benefit in the form of financial assistance for persons to meet the cost of advice and representation in legal proceedings

"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

Etymology

Origin of legal aid

First recorded in 1885–90

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:

legal aid

Contact your local legal aid organization or your county or state bar association to ask about pro bono or reduced-fee representation.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

The CBA previously stated that legal aid rates for lawyers, when adjusted for inflation, have plummeted between 47% and 58% since 2005.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

He offered pro bono legal aid to farm worker groups in the Central Valley and won headline-making settlements for police brutality victims in Orange County, from Latina immigrants to white supremacists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

There's virtually no legal aid for employment tribunals.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Barack activated his network of community organizers to connect us with legal aid, advocacy, and teaching opportunities.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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