legalism
Americannoun
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strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
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Theology.
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the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
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the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
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(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.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legalism
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."
Vocabulary lists containing legalism
Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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Chapter 10: Early China
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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.
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 now he’s trapped by the same legalism that freed him.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2019
This helps explain Pope Francis’s regular criticisms of Catholic legalism.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2015
As we have seen, the settlement is as far from that of Mark and the Pauline churches on the one side, as from the thoroughgoing legalism of Jerusalem on the other.
From The Making of the New Testament by Benjamin Wisner Bacon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
