ex parte

adverb or adjective

ex par·​te (ˌ)eks-ˈpär-tē How to pronounce ex parte (audio)
1
: on or from one side or party only
used of legal proceedings
2
: from a one-sided or partisan point of view

Did you know?

Latin has not been over-used in a procedural context ('ex parte' being a rare exception,) wrote a correspondent to the London Times in May 1999. Indeed, ex parte (which literally meant "on behalf [of]" in Medieval Latin) pops up quite often in legal settings. An ex parte proceeding, for example, is one that occurs at the request of and for the benefit of one party, usually without the knowledge and participation of any other party. Even when ex parte steps outside of the courtroom - to be used of an ex parte meeting, interview, chat, conversation, investigation, discussion, or contact, for example - the one-sided sense often has some sort of legal or legislative slant, referring to involvement of just one party or side in a case or dispute.

Examples of ex parte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the complaint, Masimo notes that CBP had reversed the ruling in an ex parte decision without Masimo’s knowledge, in spite of the fact that the agency normally requires both parties to be heard. Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 23 Aug. 2025 The president is duty-bound by his oath of office not to disburse funds to Planned Parenthood simply on the basis of an ex parte order telling him to violate a federal statute and giving the United States Treasury no remedy to get the money back if the TRO is overturned on appeal. The Editors, National Review, 9 July 2025 Meanwhile, David Ellison met with Trump at two recent UFC events (on April 12 and June 7), which the Skydance CEO failed to disclose in violation of FCC ex parte rules, according to an FCC filing by tech company LiveVideo. Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 June 2025 On May 13, Halle Bailey was granted an ex parte restraining order against her ex,— YouTuber DDG, born Darryl Granberry Jr. — alleging multiple instances of domestic violence. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ex parte

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ex parte was in 1672

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Cite this Entry

“Ex parte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ex%20parte. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

ex parte

adverb or adjective
ex par·​te ˈeks-ˈpär-tē, -tā How to pronounce ex parte (audio)
: on behalf of or involving only one party to a legal matter and in the absence of and usually without notice to the other party
an ex parte motion
relief granted ex parte
used in citations to indicate the party seeking judicial relief in a case
Ex Parte Jones, 7 U.S. 2 (1866)
compare in re, inter partes
Etymology

Medieval Latin, on behalf (of)

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