legalism
[ lee-guh-liz-uh m ]
/ ˈli gəˌlɪz əm /
noun
strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
Theology.
- the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
- the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
(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.
RELATED WORDS
juridical, administrative, authoritative, constitutional, discriminating, distinguished, equitable, forensic, impartial, judiciary, lawful, magisterial, official, pontifical, regular, statutory, principled, jurisdictional, juristic
Nearby words
- legal tender,
- legal weight,
- legal-size,
- legalese,
- legalise,
- legalistic,
- legality,
- legalization,
- legalize,
- legally
Origin of legalism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for legalistic
legalistic
/ (ˌliːɡəˈlɪstɪk) /
adjective
of, relating to, or exhibiting strict adherence to the law, esp to the letter of the law rather than its spirit
legalism
/ (ˈliːɡəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
strict adherence to the law, esp the stressing of the letter of the law rather than its spirit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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legalistic
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper