legalese en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˌlɪi.ɡəˈlɪiz] (Australia)
- /ˌliː.ɡəˈliːz/ (Australia)
- /ˌliː.ɡəˈliːz/ (UK)
- (US) audio
- /ˌli.ɡəˈliz/ (Canada, US)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *lḗǵs? Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *lḗgʰs? Proto-Italic *lēks Latin lex Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin lēgālislbor. English legal Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English legalese From legal + -ese.
Meanings
-
(derogatory, informal, uncountable) Technical jargon common in the legal profession; the argot of lawyers.
It is also his considered opinion that a condition precedent to any legislative action is that those best qualified to pronounce on the merits of a popular demand examine it in all its aspects. That is good Menzian legalese, as pompous as parody permits.
1937 October 9, Smith's Weekly, Sydney, page 12, column 1:
- (derogatory, informal, uncountable) Wordy, ostentatious talk or writing that resembles legal writing, especially when confusing to laypeople; bureaucratese; officialese.
Synonyms
Translations (12)
ko 법률 용어 (technical talk of the legal profession) · de Juristenjargon (technical talk of the legal profession) · pl żargon prawniczy (technical talk of the legal profession) · bg пра́вен ези́к (technical talk of the legal profession) · pl żargon prawniczy (wording that resembles how lawyers write — see also bureaucratese) · fi lakikieli (technical talk of the legal profession) · fi kapulakieli (technical talk of the legal profession) · fr jargon juridique (technical talk of the legal profession) · pt legalês (wording that resembles how lawyers write — see also bureaucratese) · pt juridiquês (technical talk of the legal profession) · fi lakimiesten kapulakieli (technical talk of the legal profession) · de Juristensprache (technical talk of the legal profession)