legalese

noun

le·​gal·​ese ˌlē-gə-ˈlēz  -ˈlēs 

: the specialized language of the legal profession

… replaced legalese with plain talk …

—Steve Weinberg

Examples of legalese in a Sentence

I was confused by the legalese in the contract.

Recent Examples on the Web

The world of special education is filled with technical jargon and legalese that varies from state to state. — Parents, 7 Aug. 2026

Few are going to pause the appointment to investigate hosting locations, retention policies, third-party processors and pages of privacy legalese … except patients like me of course. — New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026

The telehealth company itself is, in legalese, only a management service organization. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 June 2026

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel gave the FCC 30 days to respond to that effort, known in legalese as a writ of mandamus. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legalese

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• masterpiece
• pilates
• specialise
• stabilise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise

Legal Definition

legalese

noun

le·​gal·​ese ˌlē-gə-ˈlēz, -ˈlēs 

: the specialized language of the legal profession