legal dictionary

[ lee-guhl dik-shuh-ner-ee ]

/ ˈli gəl ˌdɪk ʃəˌnɛr i /

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noun

a specialized dictionary covering terms used in the various branches of the legal profession, as civil law, criminal law, and corporate law. A comprehensive legal dictionary adds to its body of standard English entries many words and phrases that have made their way into modern legal practice from law French and Latin and are often not found in a general English monolingual dictionary. Such a specialized dictionary is useful not only for law students and for attorneys themselves, but for members of the lay public who require legal services. Legal dictionaries published in print follow the normal practice of sorting entry terms alphabetically, while online dictionaries allow direct, immediate access to a search term.

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Origin of legal dictionary

First recorded in 1825–30

Words nearby legal dictionary

legal, legal age, legal aid, legal aid society, legal cap, legal dictionary, legal eagle, legalese, legal holiday, legalism, legalistic

How to use legal dictionary in a sentence

The most notorious states are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where death is an acceptable legal remedy.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Weeks retained an unparalleled legal team, which included bitter political rivals Hamilton and Burr.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What if there were a legal dispute between the foreign investor and his or her Egyptian partners or collaborators?
Amal Clooney vs. Egypt’s Courts|Christopher Dickey|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
However, legal issues are only one of the things standing between an ex-prisoner and a job.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The Supreme Court eventually stepped in and ended legal segregation in the landmark 1954 decision, Brown v. Board of Education.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He prepared a glossary of provincial and archological words, intended for a supplement to Johnson's Dictionary.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He was guilty of the weakness of taking refuge in what is called, I believe, in legal phrase, a side-issue.
Confidence|Henry James
The legal framework of the State and of obedience to the law in which industrial society is set threatens to break asunder.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The seizure was made in legal form; the banker, who lost nothing, was bound to comply with it.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
This little book contains many of the legal principles that are in most frequent use, as readers will learn who carefully read it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles