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Law vocabulary · Legal Writing & Drafting

Legalese

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˌliːɡəˈliːz/nounCommon term

In law, legalese means: Complicated legal language full of long sentences, old-fashioned words and Latin phrases that ordinary readers find hard to understand.

In Turkish: ağdalı hukuk dili, anlaşılması güç hukuk dili, hukuk jargonu

How it is used

A critical, informal word: people complain that a contract is 'full of legalese' or ask a lawyer to 'cut the legalese'. The 'plain English' or 'plain language' movement encourages lawyers to write clear, short sentences, and many regulators now expect this, especially in consumer documents.

Example sentences

  1. The terms and conditions are written in such dense legalese that nobody reads them.

  2. Can you rewrite this letter without the legalese? The client is not a lawyer.

Common collocations

  • full of legalese
  • cut the legalese
  • dense legalese
  • plain English
  • herebyA formal word meaning 'by means of this document or statement', used when writing or saying something itself has a legal effect.
  • thereofA formal word meaning 'of it' or 'of that', referring back to something just mentioned in a legal text.
  • hereinafterA formal word in legal documents meaning 'from this point on in this document', used mainly to introduce a short name for a party or thing.
  • draftTo write a legal document such as a contract, letter or court submission, usually as a first version that others will review and change.
  • including but not limited toA phrase placed before a list to show that the items are only examples and that other similar things are also covered.

More terms: Legal Writing & Drafting

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.