definitions

legalism

[ lee-guh-liz-uh m ]
/ ˈli gəˌlɪz əm /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR legalism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
Theology.
  1. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
  2. 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 separation, legal tender, legal weight, legal-size, legalese, legalism, legalistic, legality, legalize, leganés, legaspi

Origin of legalism

First recorded in 1830–40; legal + -ism

Related forms

le·gal·ist, nounle·gal·is·tic, adjectivele·gal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for legalistic

British Dictionary definitions for legalistic (1 of 2)

legalistic

/ (ˌliːɡəˈlɪstɪk) /

adjective

of, relating to, or exhibiting strict adherence to the law, esp to the letter of the law rather than its spirit

Derived Forms

legalistically, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for legalistic (2 of 2)

legalism

/ (ˈliːɡəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

strict adherence to the law, esp the stressing of the letter of the law rather than its spirit

Derived Forms

legalist, noun, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012