FindLaw Legal Dictionary

Legal Term of the Day

• Apr 13, 2021 7:00 AM:  Handicapped
  : having a disability that substantially limits a major life activity (as caring for oneself, working, or having sensory functions)

• Apr 12, 2021 7:00 AM:  Injurious Falsehood
  : disparagement

• Apr 12, 2021 12:21 AM:  Status Quo Ante
  [Latin, state in which previously] : the state of affairs that existed previously [rescind the contract and restore the parties to the status quo ante]

• Apr 11, 2021 7:00 AM:  Right Of Action
  1 : a right to begin and prosecute an action in the courts (as for the purpose of enforcing a right or redressing a wrong) 2 : chose in action at chose

• Apr 10, 2021 7:00 AM:  Bankruptcy
  pl: -cies 1 : the quality or state of a bankrupt [filed for ] 2 : the administration of an insolvent debtor's property by the court for the benefit of the debtor's creditors [the debt was discharged ...

• Apr 9, 2021 7:00 AM:  Fieri Facias
  [Medieval Latin, literally, may you cause it to be done, from words used in the writ, typically de terris et cattalis fieri facias may you raise from the lands and chattels (of the defendant) (a ...

• Apr 8, 2021 7:00 AM:  Payroll Tax
  : a tax that is levied as a percentage of an employee's pay and is usually paid by the employer

• Apr 7, 2021 7:00 AM:  Sibling
  Brother or sister.

• Apr 6, 2021 7:00 AM:  Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel
  :representation of a criminal defendant that is so flawed as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial [claimed ineffective assistance of counsel following his conviction] called also ineffective ...

• Apr 5, 2021 7:00 AM:  Unilateral
  1 : done or undertaken by one party [a mistake as to the terms] 2 : of, relating to, or affecting one side of a subject 3 : containing a promise to perform made by only one party esp. because the ...

• Apr 4, 2021 7:00 AM:  Twisting
  : the making of a misrepresentation by an insurance agent to cause a policyholder to surrender or lapse an insurance policy esp. for the purpose of replacing it with another policy

• Apr 3, 2021 7:00 AM:  Inoperative
  : having no force or effect [an will]

• Apr 2, 2021 7:00 AM:  Intermediary
  pl: -ar·ies : one that acts as a means or go-between in a matter involving other parties [a reinsurance ] see also learned intermediary intermediary adj

• Apr 1, 2021 7:00 AM:  Gerrymander
  [Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) + salamander; from the shape of an election district formed during Gerry's governorship of Massachusetts] 1 : the act or method of gerrymandering 2 : a district or ...

• Mar 31, 2021 7:00 AM:  Fruit Of The Poisonous Tree
  1 : a doctrine of evidence: evidence that is derived from or gathered during an illegal action (as an unlawful search) cannot be admitted into court 2 : evidence that is inadmissible under an ...

• Mar 30, 2021 7:00 AM:  Float
  1 : an amount of money represented by checks outstanding and in process of collection 2 : the time between a transaction (as the writing of a check or a purchase on credit) and the actual withdrawal ...

• Mar 29, 2021 7:00 AM:  Interrogatory
  pl: -ries : a written question required by law to be answered under the direction of a court ;esp : a written question directed by one party to another regarding information that is within the scope ...

• Mar 29, 2021 12:11 AM:  Independent Medical Examination (Ime)
  In many situations, an employer and insurance company will want to have an injured employee seen by a particular physician in order to obtain on objective evaluation of the employee's health. An ...

• Mar 28, 2021 7:00 AM:  Scrivener
  [Middle English, alteration of scriveyn, from Anglo-French escrivein, ultimately from Latin scriba public record keeper, from scribere to write] : a professional or public copyist or writer of ...

• Mar 27, 2021 7:00 AM:  Cloud On Title
  :an interest (as a lien) in real property that if valid impairs the owner's title compare quiet

• Mar 26, 2021 7:00 AM:  Current Monthly Income
  The average monthly income received by the debtor over the six calendar months before commencement of the bankruptcy case, including regular contributions to household expenses from nondebtors and ...

• Mar 25, 2021 7:00 AM:  Student
  As a nonimmigrant class of admission, an alien coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, ...

• Mar 24, 2021 7:00 AM:  Coast Guard
  The government agency responsible for enforcing federal laws on the high seas and navigable waters of the United States and its possessions.

• Mar 23, 2021 7:00 AM:  Incumber
  var of encumber

• Mar 22, 2021 7:00 AM:  Speculate
  -lat·ed -lat·ing vi 1 : to theorize on the basis of insufficient evidence NOTE: A jury is not permitted to speculate on a matter about which insufficient evidence has been presented in ...

• Mar 21, 2021 7:00 AM:  Burgle
  bur·gled bur·gling : burglarize

• Mar 20, 2021 7:00 AM:  John
  : a prostitute's client

• Mar 19, 2021 7:00 AM:  Consecutive
  : following one after the other in order con·sec·u·tive·ly adv

• Mar 18, 2021 7:00 AM:  Confession
  1 : an act of confessing 2 : an acknowledgment of a fact or allegation as true or proven ;esp : a written or oral statement by an accused party acknowledging the party's guilt (as by admitting ...

• Mar 17, 2021 7:00 AM:  Residuum Rule
  : a rule requiring that the decision or order of an administrative agency be supported by at least a small amount of evidence which is not inadmissible hearsay in order to be upheld on review NOTE: ...

• Mar 16, 2021 7:00 AM:  Falcidian Portion
  [from Falcidius, Roman tribune who proposed the law passed in 40 B.C. that established the portion] : the one-fourth portion of a succession that may be retained by the instituted heir in civil law ...

• Mar 15, 2021 7:00 AM:  Impound
  : to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority [ a vehicle] [the police ed the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained] im·pound·ment n

• Mar 15, 2021 12:35 AM:  Informal Rulemaking
  : rulemaking by a government agency in accordance with the provisions of section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act called also notice-and-comment rulemaking compare formal rulemaking NOTE: ...

• Mar 14, 2021 7:00 AM:  Umpire
  : a person having authority to decide finally a controversy or question between parties: as a : one appointed to decide between disagreeing arbitrators b : an impartial third party chosen to ...

• Mar 13, 2021 7:00 AM:  Point Of Error
  :a challenge by a party to a finding, ruling, or judgment of a trial court on the basis that it is contrary to the evidence or to the law

• Mar 12, 2021 7:00 AM:  Vice-Chancellor
  1 : an officer ranking next below a chancellor and serving as deputy 2 : a judge appointed to act for or to assist a chancellor

• Mar 11, 2021 7:00 AM:  Hearing
  1 : a proceeding of relative formality at which evidence and arguments may be presented on the matter at issue to be decided by a person or body having decision-making authority compare trial NOTE: ...

• Mar 10, 2021 7:00 AM:  Subornation
  : an act or instance of suborning [ of perjured statements] [to protect witnesses from intimidation and "WBZ-TV4 v. DA for the Suffolk Dist., 562 N.E.2d 817 (1990)"] NOTE: Subornation of perjury is a ...

• Mar 9, 2021 7:00 AM:  Abate
  abat·ed abat·ing [Old French abattre, literally, to knock down, from a-, prefix stressing result + battre to beat] vt 1 a : to put an end to or do away with [ a nuisance] b : make void : ...

• Mar 8, 2021 7:00 AM:  Unpremeditated
  : not premeditated

• Mar 7, 2021 7:00 AM:  Proxy
  pl: prox·ies [Middle English procucie, contraction of procuracie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin procuratia, alteration of Latin procuratio appointment of another as one's agent] 1 : the ...

• Mar 6, 2021 7:00 AM:  Statutory Rape
  : rape consisting of sexual intercourse with a person beneath an age (as 14 years) specified by statute NOTE: Many state statutes also specify a minimum age of the perpetrator or an age differential ...

• Mar 5, 2021 7:00 AM:  Requests For Admission
  a form of discovery in which one party asks another to admit or deny the truth of facts or the genuineness of documents.

• Mar 4, 2021 7:00 AM:  Mortgagee
  : a party (as a business or individual) to whom or in whose favor property is mortgaged

• Mar 3, 2021 7:00 AM:  Group Boycott
  : an agreed-upon refusal by competitors to deal with another business unless it refrains from dealing with a potential competitor trying to enter the market

• Mar 2, 2021 7:00 AM:  Subrogation
  1 : an equitable doctrine holding that when a third party pays a creditor or obligee the third party succeeds to the creditor's rights against the debtor or obligor ;also : a doctrine holding that ...

• Mar 1, 2021 7:00 AM:  Assure
  as·sured as·sur·ing 1 chiefly Brit : insure 2 a : to inform positively [the seller assured the buyer of his honesty] b : to provide a guarantee of

• Feb 28, 2021 7:00 AM:  Surrogacy
  pl: -cies : the office of a surrogate

• Feb 27, 2021 7:00 AM:  Bylaw
  [Middle English bilage bilawe local law, probably ultimately from Old Norse bȳr town + lg law] 1 : a rule adopted by an organization chiefly for the government of its members and the management ...

• Feb 26, 2021 7:00 AM:  Minitrial
  : an informal trial-like proceeding used as a form of alternative dispute resolution

• Feb 25, 2021 7:00 AM:  Fund
  1 : a sum of money or other resources whose principal or interest is set aside for a specific objective cli·ent security fund : a fund established by each state to compensate clients for ...

• Feb 24, 2021 7:00 AM:  Seise
  var of seize

• Feb 23, 2021 7:00 AM:  Sub Silentio
  [Latin] : under or in silence : without notice being taken or without making a particular point of the matter in question [overruled sub silentio this court's holding in Collora "State v. Olsen, 498 ...

• Feb 22, 2021 7:00 AM:  Nolo Contendere Plea
  a plea in which the defendant does not admit guilt, but does waive the right to trial and authorize the court to impose punishment at sentencing. Nolo contendere is a Latin term that means "it is not ...

• Feb 21, 2021 7:00 AM:  Habitable
  : suitable and fit for a person to live in : free of defects that endanger the health and safety of occupants see also warranty of habitability at warranty hab·it·abil·i·ty ...

• Feb 20, 2021 7:00 AM:  Maritime Law
  : law that relates to commerce and navigation on the high seas and other navigable waters and that is administered by the admiralty courts NOTE: Article III of the U.S. Constitution confers the power ...

• Feb 19, 2021 7:00 AM:  Remit
  re·mit·ted re·mit·ting [Latin remittere to let go back, send back, give up, forgive, from re- back + mittere to let go, send] vt 1 a : to release from the guilt or penalty of b : ...

• Feb 19, 2021 2:14 AM:  Capital
  [Latin capitalis, from caput head, a person's life (as forfeit)] 1 a : punishable by death [ murder] b : involving execution [a case] 2 Medieval Latin capitalis chief, principal, from Latin caput ...

• Feb 18, 2021 7:00 AM:  Allocatur
  [Medieval Latin, it is allowed] : permission to appeal [granted in order to determine whether the lower courts were in error "City of Pittsburgh v. Commonwealth, 653 A.2d 1210 (1995)"] used primarily ...

• Feb 17, 2021 7:00 AM:  Cash Basis Accounting
  An accounting method that records sales and expenses when the transfer of cash occurs

• Feb 16, 2021 7:00 AM:  Fair Market Value
  : a price at which buyers and sellers both having reasonable knowledge of the property and being under no compulsion are willing to do business

• Feb 15, 2021 7:00 AM:  Administrative Crime
  : violation of a regulation of a government agency that is punishable as a crime

• Feb 14, 2021 7:00 AM:  Temporary Total Disability (Ttd)
  TTD benefits are available to employees whose injuries leave them totally unable to work for a period of time. The benefits are no longer payable when the "temporary" disability clears and the ...

• Feb 13, 2021 7:00 AM:  Direct
  1 : to order with authority [the testator ed that the car go to his niece] 2 : to order entry of (a verdict) without jury consideration [the court ed a verdict in favor of the defendant] 3 : to act ...

• Feb 12, 2021 7:00 AM:  Eyewitness
  : one who sees an occurrence or object or sometimes experiences it through other senses (as hearing) and usually reports or testifies about it

• Feb 11, 2021 7:00 AM:  Advise
  ad·vised ad·vis·ing vt 1 : to give advice to : counsel [ them to draw up a will] 2 : to give information or notice to [ them of their rights] vi 1 : to give advice [ on legal ...

• Feb 10, 2021 7:00 AM:  Accommodate
  -dat·ed -dat·ing 1 : to make a change or provision for [ a disability] see also reasonable accommodation 2 : to accept without compensation responsibility for a debt of (another person) in ...

• Feb 9, 2021 7:00 AM:  Venireman
  pl: -men [venire (facias) + man] : venireperson

• Feb 8, 2021 7:00 AM:  Debar
  de·barred de·bar·ring : to bar from having or doing something ;specif : to exclude from contracting with the federal government or a federal contractor [was debarred from bidding] ...

• Feb 7, 2021 7:00 AM:  Bound
  1 : boundary usually used in pl. [metes and s] 2 : something that limits or restrains [within the s of the law]

• Feb 6, 2021 7:00 AM:  Misdemeanant
  : one who commits a misdemeanor

• Feb 5, 2021 7:00 AM:  Pretrial Conference
  : a proceeding attended by the parties to an action and a judge or magistrate and held at a party's request or on the judge's initiative for the purpose of focusing the issues, making discovery, ...

• Feb 4, 2021 7:00 AM:  Counselor-At-Law
  pl: counselors-at-law : counsel compare attorney-at-law

• Feb 3, 2021 7:00 AM:  Civil Rights
  Civil rights are the rights of individuals to be free from unfair or unequal treatment (discrimination) in a number of settings, when that negative treatment is based on the individual's race, gender, ...

• Feb 2, 2021 7:00 AM:  Major Federal Action
  : a proposed federal undertaking that pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act must be the subject of an environmental impact statement if it would significantly affect the environment

• Feb 1, 2021 7:00 AM:  Passport
  A document issued by competent authority showing the bearer's origin, identity, and nationality, which is valid for the entry of the bearer into a foreign country.

• Jan 31, 2021 7:00 AM:  Prescribe
  pre·scribed pre·scrib·ing vi 1 : to claim title or a right to something (as an easement) by prescription [a precarious possessor cannot against the owner] 2 in the civil law of ...

• Jan 30, 2021 7:00 AM:  Arguendo
  [New Latin] : for the sake of argument [assuming that the allegations are true]

• Jan 29, 2021 7:00 AM:  Mitigate
  -gat·ed -gat·ing vt : to lessen or minimize the severity of [what actions the State took to the hazardous conditions "Estate of Arrowwood v. State, 894 P.2d 642 (1995)"] [factors that the ...

• Jan 28, 2021 7:00 AM:  Judicial Activism
  : the practice in the judiciary of protecting or expanding individual rights through decisions that depart from established precedent or are independent of or in opposition to supposed constitutional ...

• Jan 27, 2021 7:00 AM:  Right Of Way
  1 : an easement or servitude over another's land conferring a right of passage 2 a : the area over which a right of way exists b : the strip of land over which is built a public road c : the land ...

• Jan 26, 2021 7:00 AM:  Self-Insure
  : to insure by self-insurance (as in workers' compensation) [an employer wishing to its liability "Pennsylvania Statutes"] vi : to use self-insurance [a governmental agency that s] ...

• Jan 25, 2021 7:00 AM:  Mortgage Note
  a legal document obligating a borrower to repay a loan at a stated interest rate during a specified period; the agreement is secured by a mortgage that is recorded in the public records along with the ...

• Jan 24, 2021 7:00 AM:  Jury
  pl: ju·ries [Anglo-French juree, from feminine past participle of Old French jurer to swear, from Latin jurare, from jur- jus law] : a body of individuals sworn to give a decision on some matter ...

• Jan 23, 2021 7:00 AM:  Expectancy Damages
  : expectation damages at damage

• Jan 22, 2021 7:00 AM:  Eyewitness
  : one who sees an occurrence or object or sometimes experiences it through other senses (as hearing) and usually reports or testifies about it

• Jan 22, 2021 4:54 AM:  Aver
  averred aver·ring : to assert or declare positively esp. in a pleading : allege [not necessary to the capacity of a party to sue "Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 9(a)"] NOTE: Federal ...

• Jan 22, 2021 4:50 AM:  Gangster
  : a member of a gang of criminals

• Jan 22, 2021 4:37 AM:  Statement
  1 a : an official or formal report or declaration [a of policy] b : an oral or written assertion (as by a witness) or conduct intended as an assertion see also hearsay, prior consistent statement, ...

• Jan 21, 2021 7:00 AM:  Execute
  -cut·ed -cut·ing 1 : perform : as a : to carry out fully [includes not only executed violence, but also threatened violence "Louisiana Civil Code"] b : to do what is provided or required ...

• Jan 20, 2021 7:00 AM:  Bribery
  pl: -er·ies : the crime of giving or taking a bribe

• Jan 19, 2021 7:00 AM:  Right To Privacy
  :right of privacy

• Jan 18, 2021 7:00 AM:  Imbecile
  : a mentally retarded or deficient person ;esp : a severely mentally retarded person used esp. formerly ; see also idiot

• Jan 17, 2021 7:00 AM:  Risk-Utility Test
  : a test used in product liability cases to determine whether a manufacturer is liable for injury to a consumer because the risk of danger created by the product's design outweighs the benefits of ...

• Jan 16, 2021 7:00 AM:  Unnecessary Hardship
  : a deprivation of an owner's right to the beneficial use of property that is caused when a zoning ordinance makes it impossible to receive a reasonable return from the property NOTE: Unnecessary ...

• Jan 15, 2021 7:00 AM:  Final Rule
  : a rule promulgated by an administrative agency after the public has had an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule

• Jan 14, 2021 7:00 AM:  Conspiracy
  pl: -cies [Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire see conspire ] 1 : an agreement between two or more people to commit an act prohibited by law or to commit a lawful act by means prohibited ...

• Jan 13, 2021 7:00 AM:  Implicit
  : capable of being recognized though unexpressed : implied im·plic·it·ly adv

• Jan 12, 2021 7:00 AM:  Peremptory Exception
  in the civil law of Louisiana : an exception pleaded by a defendant esp. on the basis that the law provides no remedy for the injury the plaintiff alleges, that the claim is barred by res judicata or ...

• Jan 11, 2021 7:00 AM:  Shop Committee
  : a committee composed of union members appointed or elected to handle employee grievances within a shop