le·gal·ist
ˈlē-gə-list 
1
: an advocate or adherent of moral legalism
2
: one that views things from a legal standpoint
especially
: one that places primary emphasis on legal principles or on the formal structure of governmental institutions
le·gal·is·tic
¦lēgə¦listik
-tēk sometimes ¦lig-
: characterized by legalism
the American tendency to approach foreign policy in moralistic and legalistic fashion—
W. G. Carleton
W. G. Carletona legalistic religion
no amount of legalistic argument can becloud this issue—F. D. Roosevelt
F. D. RooseveltExamples of legalist in a Sentence
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Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
And then there’s Miles Teller, an actor of some renown who has just proved himself as wily and cunning a legalist as there might be.
—Richard Lawson, Vanities, 20 June 2017
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Noun
Minorities were included in every part of society: artisans, merchant marines, medical doctors, philosophers, mathematicians, inventors, legalists, farmers, bankers and astronomers.
—Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
And then there’s Miles Teller, an actor of some renown who has just proved himself as wily and cunning a legalist as there might be.
—Richard Lawson, Vanities, 20 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Legalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legalist. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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