legal weight

American

noun

the weight of merchandise itself plus that of its immediate wrapping material but not of the outside shipping container: used especially in some Latin American countries for the purpose of assessing import duties.

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.

An ICJ opinion is not legally binding, but the court believes it carries "great legal weight and moral authority".

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

The next day, however, California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond sent out a letter, saying that the federal warning carried no legal weight.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2025

Some people in the transgender community now worry GRCs have lost their legal weight and will only serve a symbolic purpose from now on.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2025

Its request carries no legal weight, but it adds to the legal and political calculus.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2022

Because a witness making a statement from the dock does not submit to cross-examination or questions from the bench, the state-ment does not have the same legal weight as ordinary testimony.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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