laches
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of laches
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English lachesse, from Anglo-French, variant of Middle French laschesse, derivative of Old French lasche “slack” (from Germanic ); see -ice
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.
MacLean invoked the so-called laches defense which applies to situations where there’s an excessive or unreasonable delay in seeking legal recourse.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 15, 2020
Under a doctrine known as laches, litigants cannot wait to bring a claim until the last minute, then ambush their opponents with a surprise lawsuit.
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2020
Mr. Gabriel said a legal tenet known as laches might apply.
From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2018
The so-called laches defense allowed judges to dismiss cases in which the plaintiff was determined to have strategically delayed their claims.
From Reuters ● Mar. 21, 2017
In the second edition laches is in black, in the fifth it changes to red again, so that the greatest caution has to be exercised lest the first and fifth editions should be confounded.
From Book Collecting: A Guide for Amateurs by J. Herbert (John Herbert) Slater
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.
