legalism

American  

[lee-guh-liz-uhm] / ˈli gəˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.

2. Theology.

   1. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.

   2. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.

3. (initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.

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legalism British  

/ ˈliːɡəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. strict adherence to the law, esp the stressing of the letter of the law rather than its spirit

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Other Word Forms

• legalist noun
• legalistic adjective
• legalistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of legalism

First recorded in 1830–40; legal + -ism

Explanation

Legalism is a strict, literal interpretation of the law, with no consideration of specific circumstances. In law, using legalism as a guiding principle means looking at established court decisions and congressional acts, then deciding cases based only on those. If a hungry person steals food, legalism would require a judge to find them guilty of theft based on established law, without any consideration of their specific circumstances. Legalism is derived from the Latin lex, "rule."

Example Sentences

Turning down the volume on legalism lets us enter the interior experience of the season—helping it become a space for the encounter of God and the self.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

While I slowly untangled my self-image from years of religious legalism and established my own convictions, my Facebook feed continued to feature increasingly elaborate pregnancy announcements and gender reveals.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2019

And he seems less driven by moralism than bound by legalism.

From Washington Post • May 24, 2019

And now he’s trapped by the same legalism that freed him.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2019

The evangelical doctrine that the source of holiness is thankfulness was well meant, as an antidote to legalism on the one hand and to Antinomianism on the other.

From The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews by Edwards, Thomas Charles