paralegal
Americannoun
-
paralegals
plural
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of paralegal
Explanation
A paralegal is a legal assistant. Paralegals don't have to go to law school, but they do have special training to help lawyers. The prefix para is used for something that is separate from the word it’s next to but still related to it. A paraprofessional, for example, helps other professionals, like teachers, but isn’t actually a teacher. Paralegals are not lawyers, but they assist lawyers by doing research, filing paperwork, gathering materials, and providing whatever else lawyers need to do their jobs. Without paralegals, the job of a lawyer would be a lot tougher.
Vocabulary lists containing paralegal
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para-
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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.
See Examples For:
“After he died, it became very clear that the story they were giving us was just completely ridiculous,” said That Girl Mom, a former paralegal based in Alabama with around 160,000 followers.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Gerben, who had been working as a paralegal as his buddy’s stand-up career skyrocketed, said he was grateful to get swept back into show business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Her family and a paralegal from her lawyer’s office, were denied entry into the courtroom because of how packed it was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
These classes make Megan Riley, a paralegal apprentice, feel "empowered" and connected after her friends moved away to university.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
It was enough to make him admit to himself that he was in love with his paralegal, Hannah Winter, and that he had been for some time now.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
“Some occupations regularly cast as AI’s early victims are on a tear. America has 7% more software developers, 10% more radiologists and 21% more paralegals than three years ago.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Since the scandal was unearthed, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has created and required additional training for prosecutors, paralegals and investigators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
Pirro recently revealed that she is getting help from military lawyers, because her office is short 90 prosecutors, as well as 60 investigators and paralegals.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2025
It’s exactly the type of application people said would send paralegals and junior associates to the bread lines.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2023
One of the paralegals drops off a package for Namrata, and she barely even looks at it.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
