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
Derived 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.
What effect did the Warring States period have on the development of Confucianism and Legalism?
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
While Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism remained distinct, they borrowed liberally from each other and incorporated values, themes, and terminology to round out their own philosophies.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
Counter to the Daoist tradition and Confucianism ran the school of thought known as Legalism, the focal point of which was the accumulation of power.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
Under Shihuangdi’s rule, the tenets of Legalism fostered unity as the emperor standardized the writing system, coins, and the law throughout northern China.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
Legalism, adherence to the strict letter of the law often in disregard of the spirit and even in defiance of it.
From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin
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.
