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

Your cousin needs help, from a CFP or financial adviser or, better yet, free legal aid.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

One of the still incomplete recommendations made by the Office of Violence Prevention was to increase legal aid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Barristers were on strike from 5 January to 18 June, meaning no Crown Court cases involving people who require legal aid could proceed while the dispute continued.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Curtis Robb was also awarded legal aid costs.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

The legal aid division of the Baton Rouge Bar Association intervenes on her behalf, and Joey’s many supporters flood government offices in protest.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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