paralegal

[ par-uh-lee-guhl ]

/ ˌpær əˈli gəl /

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noun

an attorney's assistant, not admitted to the practice of law but trained to perform certain legal tasks.

adjective

of or relating to a paralegal or paralegals: a paralegal career.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of paralegal

First recorded in 1970–75; para-¹ + legal

Words nearby paralegal

parakiting, Parakou, paralalia, paralanguage, paraldehyde, paralegal, paralexia, paralimnion, paralinguistic, paralinguistics, paralipomena

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paralegal in a sentence

The draft’s release follows the May arrest of 21 activists and paralegals who attended a conference on how to advocate for LGBTQ rights.
Draft of draconian anti-LGBTQ bill in Ghana leaked|Prince Chingarande|July 28, 2021|Washington Blade
Eventually, he connected with a paralegal at the Legal Aid Society, who sent an email to two New York labor department officials asking to expedite his case.
How Unemployment Insurance Fraud Exploded During the Pandemic|by Cezary Podkul|July 26, 2021|ProPublica
Pisarra, then, was an assistant to a paralegal at a toothpaste company.
Drew Pisarra’s ‘dangerously funny and queerly inventive brain’|Kathi Wolfe|July 23, 2021|Washington Blade
Watson, a former paralegal, has now joined a Facebook group dedicated to tracking cicadas, and is also on a group chat with fellow enthusiasts.
The Brood X cicadas are here — and yes, there’s an app for that|Tanya Basu|June 3, 2021|MIT Technology Review

Jeffrey Day is a paralegal who oversees most of the public records requests that come through San Diego Unified School District.
San Diego Unified Official Admits to Not Following Public Records Act|Will Huntsberry|May 17, 2021|Voice of San Diego
Whatever the truth, Miller hardly seems to have shrugged it off when the partner married a paralegal who worked in their office.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger|Michael Daly|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
James Ferguson, 29, a design student and paralegal, who lives on 89th and 1st Avenue, is among them.
Why the Upper East Side Is Now Cooler Than Brooklyn|Tom Teodorczuk|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Among the others are massage schools, paralegal programs and auto repair academies.
‘Degree Mills’ Are Exploiting Veterans and Making Millions Off the GI Bill|Aaron Glantz|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her paralegal license allows LaMay to do all of her own legal work.
Will Home Grown Marijuana Go the Way of Moonshine?|Caitlin Dickson|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Imagine you were a law firm and a paralegal disclosed sensitive information from a major client.
Why Wall Street Still Loves Booz Allen|Daniel Gross|June 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for paralegal

paralegal

/ (ˌpærəˈliːɡəl) /

noun

a person trained to undertake legal work but not qualified as a professional solicitor or barrister

adjective

of or designating such a person

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