legalese

noun

le·​gal·​ese ˌlē-gə-ˈlēz How to pronounce legalese (audio) -ˈlēs How to pronounce legalese (audio)
: the specialized language of the legal profession
replaced legalese with plain talkSteve Weinberg

Examples of legalese in a Sentence

I was confused by the legalese in the contract.
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.
The legalese can be daunting, and insurance companies have a team of lawyers at their disposal. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024 To help parse the legalese, Lex Machina has developed a set of rules—a sort of legal grammar for the machine. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2013 Difficult Language The first thing that many readers will notice is that both of these documents are written, essentially, in legalese. John Werner, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 The website may have high-minded ideals, but their termination agreements are full of hard-nosed legalese. Kelsey Piper, Vox, 18 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for legalese 

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legalese was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near legalese

Cite this Entry

“Legalese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legalese. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

legalese

noun
le·​gal·​ese ˌlē-gə-ˈlēz, -ˈlēs How to pronounce legalese (audio)
: the specialized language of the legal profession

More from Merriam-Webster on legalese

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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