FindLaw Legal Dictionary

Legal Term of the Day

• Oct 21, 2020 7:00 AM:  Disinherit
  : to prevent deliberately from inheriting something (as by making a will) see also elective share dis·in·her·i·tance [-her-ə-təns] n

• Oct 20, 2020 7:00 AM:  Jurisconsult
  [Latin jurisconsultus, from juris, genitive of jus law, right + consultus, past participle of consulere to consult] : jurist ;esp : one learned in international and public law

• Oct 19, 2020 7:00 AM:  Superintendent
  : one who has the oversight and charge of a place, institution, department, organization, or operation ;specif : the executive head of a police department

• Oct 18, 2020 7:00 AM:  Impersonation
  : the act or an instance of impersonating another ;also : the crime of impersonation

• Oct 17, 2020 7:00 AM:  Impracticability
  1 : the state of being impracticable 2 : a doctrine in contract law: relief from obligations under a contract may be granted when performance has been rendered excessively difficult, expensive, or ...

• Oct 16, 2020 7:00 AM:  Pre-Foreclosure Sale
  allows a defaulting borrower to sell the mortgaged property to satisfy the loan and avoid foreclosure.

• Oct 15, 2020 7:00 AM:  Leasehold Insurance
  : insurance against loss to a lessee (as of profits derived from a sublease) because of cancellation of a lease as a result of fire or other specified peril

• Oct 14, 2020 7:00 AM:  Sexual Abuse
  1 a : the infliction of sexual contact upon a person by forcible compulsion b : the engaging in sexual contact with a person who is below a specified age or who is incapable of giving consent ...

• Oct 13, 2020 7:00 AM:  Small Business Administration
  The federal governmental agency that guarantees loans made by banks to small businesses

• Oct 13, 2020 6:06 AM:  Flood Insurance
  insurance that protects homeowners against losses from a flood; if a home is located in a flood plain, the lender will require flood insurance before approving a loan.

• Oct 12, 2020 7:00 AM:  Sufficient
  : enough to meet the needs under the law of a situation or a proposed end suf·fi·cient·ly adv

• Oct 11, 2020 7:00 AM:  Stricti Juris
  [Latin] : according to or determined by strict interpretation of the law [the rights of a guarantor are stricti juris "Sitzer v. Lang, 243 S.E.2d 95 (1978)"]

• Oct 9, 2020 7:00 AM:  Trespassory
  : constituting a trespass [a taking of property]

• Oct 8, 2020 7:00 AM:  Conference
  1 : a meeting for consultation, deliberation, discussion, or interchange of opinions [a on environmental law] see also judicial conference, pretrial conference 2 : a meeting of members of the two ...

• Oct 7, 2020 7:00 AM:  Consanguine
  : consanguineous

• Oct 6, 2020 7:00 AM:  Rehearing
  : a reconsideration of a cause (as an appeal) after final decision or dismissal usually by the same tribunal that is usually granted due to some error in the original hearing and that may encompass ...

• Oct 5, 2020 7:00 AM:  States' Rights
  1 : rights and powers not forbidden to the states nor vested in the federal government by the U.S. Constitution 2 sing in constr : a doctrine based on states' rights that has been used to justify ...

• Oct 4, 2020 7:00 AM:  Idem
  [Latin, same] : something previously mentioned : the same authority used in citations to cases and other works to refer to an immediately preceding reference compare infra, supra NOTE: Idem is ...

• Oct 3, 2020 7:00 AM:  United States Claims Court
  : a former court succeeded by the United States Court of Federal Claims

• Oct 2, 2020 7:00 AM:  Electric Chair
  1 : a chair used in performing a legal electrocution 2 : the penalty of death by electrocution

• Oct 1, 2020 7:00 AM:  Reciprocal Insurance
  : insurance through a reciprocal exchange called also interinsurance

• Sep 30, 2020 7:00 AM:  Rent Control
  : government regulation of the amount charged as rent for housing and often also of eviction rent-con·trolled adj

• Sep 29, 2020 7:00 AM:  Cash Accounting
  Income is reported in the year it is received, and expenses are deducted in the year they are paid.

• Sep 28, 2020 7:00 AM:  Formal
  1 : relating to or involving outward form, structure, or arrangement rather than content [a defect in the pleadings] 2 : requiring special or established solemnities or formalities esp. in order to ...

• Sep 27, 2020 7:00 AM:  Wash Sale
  [probably from the comparison of such a sale to the act of washing, which does not affect the nature of the thing washed] : a sale and purchase of securities that produces no change of the beneficial ...

• Sep 26, 2020 7:00 AM:  Interrogate
  -gat·ed -gat·ing : to question formally and systematically ;esp : to gather information from (a suspect) by means that are reasonably likely to elicit incriminating responses see also ...

• Sep 25, 2020 7:00 AM:  Ab Inconvenienti
  [New Latin] : from inconvenience or hardship used to refer to a rule in law that an argument from inconvenience is a strong argument

• Sep 24, 2020 7:00 AM:  C & F
  cost and freight

• Sep 23, 2020 7:00 AM:  Accompanying
  A type of visa in which family members travel with the principal applicant, (in immigrant visa cases, within six months of issuance of an immigrant visa to the principal applicant).

• Sep 22, 2020 7:00 AM:  Realty
  : real property at property

• Sep 21, 2020 7:00 AM:  Operating
  1 : engaged in active business 2 : arising out of or relating to the current daily operations of a concern (as in transportation or manufacturing) as distinct from its financial transactions and ...

• Sep 20, 2020 7:00 AM:  Pawnshop
  : a pawnbroker's shop

• Sep 19, 2020 7:00 AM:  Final Account
  : a statement usually submitted at the close of a matter (as the administration of an estate or a bankruptcy proceeding) showing transactions not previously reported by the fiduciary handling the ...

• Sep 18, 2020 7:00 AM:  Premeditate
  -tat·ed -tat·ing vt : to think about or consider beforehand [must the killing and deliberate about it "W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr."] vi : to think or consider beforehand

• Sep 17, 2020 7:00 AM:  Enabling
  : giving legal power, capacity, or sanction [ legislation]

• Sep 16, 2020 7:00 AM:  Electorate
  : a body of people entitled to vote

• Sep 15, 2020 7:00 AM:  Resolution
  1 : a formal expression of opinion, will, or intention voted by an official body (as a legislature) or assembled group see also concurrent resolution, joint resolution 2 : an expression or document ...

• Sep 14, 2020 7:00 AM:  Senior
  : having higher rank or priority [a lienholder] ;specif : having a claim on corporate assets and income prior to other securities

• Sep 13, 2020 7:00 AM:  Probationable
  : not precluding probation : punishable by probation [a offense]

• Sep 12, 2020 7:00 AM:  Fmla
  Short for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which applies to employers who have more than fifty employees on their payroll. The FMLA prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who ...

• Sep 11, 2020 7:00 AM:  Et Ux
  : and wife

• Sep 10, 2020 7:00 AM:  Election
  1 a : the act or process of electing b : an instance of the electorate voting for candidates for an elective office c : the fact of being elected 2 : the right, power, or privilege of making a ...

• Sep 9, 2020 7:00 AM:  Levari Facias
  [New Latin, you should cause to be levied] : a common-law writ of execution for the satisfaction of a judgment debt from the goods and lands of the judgment debtor used chiefly in Delaware compare ...

• Sep 8, 2020 7:00 AM:  Composition
  : an agreement between an insolvent debtor and several creditors whereby partial payment of the debts discharges in full the original obligations compare accord, compromise

• Sep 7, 2020 7:00 AM:  Affinity
  pl: -ties : relationship by marriage compare consanguinity

• Sep 6, 2020 7:00 AM:  Piti Reserves
  a cash amount that a borrower must have on hand after making a down payment and paying all closing costs for the purchase of a home. The principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) reserves must ...

• Sep 5, 2020 7:00 AM:  Native
  A person born in a particular country is a native of that country.

• Sep 4, 2020 7:00 AM:  Blackmail
  [originally, payment extorted from farmers in Scotland and northern England, from black + dialectal mail payment, rent] : extortion or coercion by often written threats esp. of public exposure, ...

• Sep 3, 2020 7:00 AM:  Interlocutory
  [Medieval Latin interlocutorius, from Late Latin interloqui to pronounce an interlocutory sentence, from Latin, to speak between] : not final or definitive [an order] ;broadly : made or done during ...

• Sep 2, 2020 7:00 AM:  Front
  : something or someone (as a person or group) used to mask the identity or true character or activity of the actual person or organization in control front vb

• Sep 1, 2020 7:00 AM:  Amerasian (Vietnam)
  Immigrant visas are issued to Amerasians under a law which provides for the admission of aliens born in Vietnam after January 1, 1962, and before January 1, 1976, if the alien was fathered by a U.S. ...

• Aug 31, 2020 7:00 AM:  Caveator
  : one who enters or files a caveat

• Aug 30, 2020 7:00 AM:  Malpractice
  : negligence, misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or a breach of duty in the performance of a professional service (as in medicine) resulting in injury or loss

• Aug 29, 2020 7:00 AM:  Securities Act Of 1934
  The federal securities act regulating the public trading of securities. This legislation established the Securities and Exchange Commission. (15 U.S.C. Sec. 78)

• Aug 28, 2020 7:00 AM:  Death Knell Exception
  : a rule of procedure allowing immediate review of an interlocutory order when denial of review would result in irreparable injury

• Aug 27, 2020 7:00 AM:  Discover
  1 : to find out about, recognize, or realize for the first time [when the victim s the fraud] see also discovery rule 2 a : to make the subject of discovery b : to learn of or obtain (information) ...

• Aug 26, 2020 7:00 AM:  Payment Due Date
  Contract language specifying when payments are due on money borrowed. The due date is always indicated and means that the payment must be received on or before the specified date. Grace periods prior ...

• Aug 25, 2020 7:00 AM:  Predispose
  -posed -pos·ing : to dispose or incline in advance ;specif : to make ready and willing to commit a crime [have been predisposed to engage in criminal behavior "W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel"] ...

• Aug 24, 2020 7:00 AM:  L. Rev.
  Law Review [Harv. L. Rev.]

• Aug 23, 2020 7:00 AM:  Assignment Of Error
  :a declaration by a party to a legal action specifying the errors made by the court during the trial that the party seeks to have corrected (as by a new trial)

• Aug 22, 2020 7:00 AM:  Nonarbitrary
  : not arbitrary

• Aug 21, 2020 7:00 AM:  Legal Detriment
  : detriment

• Aug 20, 2020 7:00 AM:  Accuse
  ac·cused ac·cus·ing [Latin accusare to find fault with, charge with a crime, from ad to, at + causa legal case, trial] vt : to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process ...

• Aug 19, 2020 7:00 AM:  Basis
  pl: ba·ses [-sēz] 1 : something (as a principle or reason) on which something else is established [the court could not imagine any conceivable for the statute] see also rational basis 2 : ...

• Aug 18, 2020 7:00 AM:  Local Educational Agency
  School or school district. Also called LEA. This term is used for deciding tuition charges for secondary school students in F-1 visa status.

• Aug 17, 2020 7:00 AM:  Public Office
  : an office created by a constitution or legislative act, having a definite tenure, and involving the power to carry out some governmental function

• Aug 16, 2020 7:00 AM:  Dnr
  do not resuscitate

• Aug 15, 2020 7:00 AM:  Trade Dress
  : the overall image of a product used in its marketing or sales that is composed of the nonfunctional elements of its design, packaging, or labeling (as colors, package shape, or symbols) NOTE: Trade ...

• Aug 14, 2020 7:00 AM:  Mental Illness
  1 : mental disease 2 : a mental condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological and often social functioning ...

• Aug 13, 2020 7:00 AM:  Medicare (Health Insurance For The Aged Act)
  A federal act to provide hospital and medical insurance for the aged under the Social Security Act.

• Aug 12, 2020 7:00 AM:  Acquisitor
  : one that acquires : acquirer

• Aug 11, 2020 7:00 AM:  Court Of Criminal Appeals
  1 often cap C&C&A : a court of appeals in some states (as Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas) that hears criminal appeals 2 cap : the intermediate appellate military court made up of ...

• Aug 10, 2020 7:00 AM:  Authorize
  -rized -riz·ing 1 : to give permission to 2 : to give authority to act to au·tho·ri·za·tion [ȯ-thə-rə-zā-shən] n

• Aug 9, 2020 7:00 AM:  Memorandum Clause
  : a clause in a marine insurance policy setting forth exclusions or special terms for loss or damage to particular cargo

• Aug 8, 2020 7:00 AM:  Waiver Of Ineligibility
  In immigration law certain foreign nationals are ineligible for visas to enter the United States for medical, criminal, security or other conditions and activities. Some applicants for visas are able ...

• Aug 7, 2020 7:00 AM:  Exp.
  expense, export, express

• Aug 6, 2020 7:00 AM:  Confidentiality
  The relation between lawyer and client which guarantees any information shared by the client is treated as private and as such cannot be divulged to third parties without the client's consent.

• Aug 5, 2020 7:00 AM:  Inquest
  [Anglo-French enqueste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin inquirere to ask about, from in- within, into + quaerere to seek] 1 : a judicial or official inquiry or examination often before a jury ...

• Aug 4, 2020 7:00 AM:  As Is Clause
  : a clause in an agreement providing that the buyer accepts the item for sale in its presently existing condition without modification or repair NOTE: Under Uniform Commercial Code section 2-316, an ...

• Aug 3, 2020 7:00 AM:  Bachelor Of Laws
  1 : the lowest degree conferred by a law school in Canada and formerly in the U.S. see also juris doctor 2 : an undergraduate degree in law conferred by a school of law in England and Wales

• Aug 2, 2020 7:00 AM:  Carryback
  : the portion of an income tax deduction (as for a net operating loss) or credit which cannot be taken entirely in a given period and which may be deducted from taxable income of a prior period ...

• Aug 1, 2020 7:00 AM:  Main Purpose Rule
  : a doctrine in contract law: a promise to pay the debt of another need not be in writing to be enforceable if the promisor was motivated by a desire for advantage or benefit called also leading ...

• Jul 31, 2020 7:00 AM:  Proscribe
  pro·scribed pro·scrib·ing [Latin proscribere to publish, proscribe, from pro- before + scribere to write] : to condemn or forbid as harmful or unlawful

• Jul 30, 2020 7:00 AM:  Comptroller General
  : the accounting officer of the U.S. who investigates financial claims against or on behalf of the government

• Jul 29, 2020 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

• Jul 28, 2020 7:00 AM:  Animus Furandi
  [New Latin] : the intent to steal

• Jul 27, 2020 7:00 AM:  Trust Instrument
  : a document (as a formal declaration of trust or trust agreement) embodying the creation and provision of a trust

• Jul 26, 2020 7:00 AM:  Prospective
  1 : relating to or effective in the future [a statute's effect] 2 : likely to come about : expected to happen [ inability to perform the contract] 3 : likely to be or become [a buyer] ...

• Jul 25, 2020 7:00 AM:  Court Interpreter
  a court employee who orally translates what is said in court from English into the language of a non-English-speaking party or witness and translates that person's testimony into English.

• Jul 24, 2020 7:00 AM:  Union Mortgage Clause
  : standard mortgage clause

• Jul 23, 2020 7:00 AM:  Final Argument
  : an argument made to the jury or to the judge in a bench trial by both sides of a case after all the evidence has been presented

• Jul 22, 2020 7:00 AM:  Salvage Value
  1 : the value of damaged property 2 : the actual or estimated value realized on the sale of a fixed asset at the end of its useful life NOTE: Salvage value is used in calculating depreciation.

• Jul 21, 2020 7:00 AM:  Predictive Variables
  The variables that are part of the formula comprising elements of a credit-scoring model. These variables are used to predict a borrower's future credit performance.

• Jul 20, 2020 7:00 AM:  Liberative
  : serving to free or release (as from ownership or obligation) [the effects of tender and deposit]

• Jul 19, 2020 7:00 AM:  Absentee Ballot
  : a ballot submitted (as by mail) in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls

• Jul 18, 2020 7:00 AM:  Bench Ruling
  : an oral ruling on a case given by the judge while still on the bench

• Jul 17, 2020 7:00 AM:  Special Grand Jury
  : a grand jury summoned by a court usually at its discretion in addition to or in place of the regular grand jury (as when the regular grand jury has already been discharged)

• Jul 16, 2020 7:00 AM:  Majoritarian
  : characterized by the rule or decisions of a majority [ politics]

• Jul 15, 2020 7:00 AM:  Possessory
  1 : of, arising from, involving, or having the nature of possession [ rights] [a action] 2 : having possession [a owner]

• Jul 14, 2020 7:00 AM:  Country Of Citizenship
  The country in which a person is born (and has not renounced or lost citizenship) or naturalized and to which that person owes allegiance and by which he or she is entitled to be protected.