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

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legal weight

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

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

It was a noble declaration of principles that carried no legal weight and had little resemblance to real life — even for many of the signers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2023

The statement has no legal weight, but will be influential among medical examiners.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2023

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