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Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


abatable capable of being abated; as, an abatable writ or nuisance.
abrogate to repeal (a law, custom, etc.); to abolish authoritatively or formally.
abrogation the act of abrogating, formally annulling.
abrogative relating to annulment.
absolvitor in Scots law, a judgment favourable to a defender.
accusable liable to be accused; chargeable with a crime or fault.
accusal an accusation.
accusation the act of accusing.
accusatorial denoting a judicial procedure in which the judge is not the same person as the prosecutor.
accusatory containing or expressing ACCUSATION.
accusement an accusation.
acquit to free or clear from a charge of fault or crime.
addeem addoom to adjudge, award.
adduce to cite as proof or instance.
adjudicate to settle judicially.
adminicle that which supports or aids, especially evidence.
advocacy the act of advocating.
affeer to assess; to reduce to a certain fixed sum.
afforce to strengthen a jury by adding skilled people.
afforcement the act of AFFORCING, strengthening a jury by adding skilled people.
alibi to give an alibi to > ALIBIS or ALIBIES, ALIBIING, ALIBIED.
alienage the state or legal condition of being an alien.
aliunde from another source; from elsewhere; as, a case proved aliunde; evidence aliunde.
antitrust of legislation etc., directed against the adverse effect of trusts and other monopolies on commerce.
appeach to accuse, impeach.
appealable capable of being appealed against; that may be removed to a higher tribunal for decision; as, the cause is appealable.
appellate pertaining to, or taking cognizance of, (legal) appeals.
apprise apprize in Scots law, to put a selling price on.
apprising apprizing the sheriff's sentence directing property to be apprized.
arbitrage to subject to judgment by an arbiter.
arbitral of or relating to an arbiter or an arbitration.
arbitrium a power of decision > ARBITRIUMS.
arraign to call before a court of law to answer an indictment.
arrestation the act of arresting.
arret a decision; the judgment of a tribunal.
article (verb) to charge with specific offenses.
assize a legislative session, dealing e.g. with weights, measures, and prices; (verb, obs.) to assess, to fix the quantity of.
assoilzie to absolve, to clear a defendant of a charge > ASSOILZIES, ASSOILZIEING, ASSOILZIED.
assythment in Scots law, indemnification for injury; satisfaction.
attentat an (esp unsuccessful) attempt at an (esp political) crime of violence.
autoptic based on personal observation, as autoptic testimony.
avisandum avizandum a private consideration of a case by a judge.
bailiwick the region in which a sheriff (BAILIE) has legal powers.
bailliage the jurisdiction of a BAILLI.
banns notice given in church etc. of an intended marriage, read on three Sundays to give an opportunity for objections to be made. N.B. no BANN*.
barrat deceit, strife.
bertillonage a system of criminal identification by detailed measurements, worked out by Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914), a Paris police officer.
billable that can be billed, e.g. of a lawyer's hours.
bipartite being in two parts e.g. of a document > BIPARTITELY.
bona goods. No —S.
bote compensation for injury or damage to property.
bountied with a BOUNTY on one's head.
caselaw a law established by previous cases.
cassation annulment; in French law, the quashing of a decision of a court.
causa a (legal) cause > CAUSAE.
cautionry in Scots law, the act of giving security for another.
chargesheet a police document listing details of an accused person and the charges against him or her.
circumduce to declare elapsed, as the time allowed for introducing evidence.
citable citeable able to be cited.
citatory having the power or form of a citation; as, letters citatory.
clergiable clergyable entitled to, or admitting, the benefit of clergy; as, a clergyable felony.
coattest to attest together with.
cognosce to examine; to give judgment on.
comitial relating to the COMITIA, or popular assemblies of the Romans for electing officers and passing laws.
committal the act of committing e.g. to trial.
compulsitor in Scots law, a means of compelling.
compurgation the exoneration of an accused person on the basis of oaths sworn by other persons.
compurgatorial relating to COMPURGATION, the clearing of an accused person by means of oaths.
compurgatory relating to COMPURGATION, the clearing of an accused person by means of oaths.
convict to prove guilty.
conviction the act of convicting of a crime especially in a court of law.
corsned a medieval trial in which the accused had to swallow consecrated bread.
countersue to sue someone who is suing one.
countersuit a suit in retaliation.
crossclaim a claim made by a defendant against a plaintiff.
custody the codition of being held by the police.
damageable capable of being damaged; as, a damageable cargo.
defeasance a condition which, if fulfilled, renders an agreement or instrument null and void; a document setting out such a condition.
defeasanced liable to be forfeited.
defeasible that may be annulled.
deforce to keep out of possession by force.
deforcement the act of DEFORCING.
deforciation a legal distress.
delate to report (an offense), denounce, or accuse.
delation the action of informing against someone; (an) accusation.
depone to state, declare, or testify on oath in court; to depose.
dijudicate to judge, to decide.
diriment that renders absolutely void; nullifying; diriment impediment: making a marriage null and void from the first. No —S.
disapply to render (a law) inapplicable.
disbar to expel from the bar, or the legal profession.
disclaimer a denial or disavowal of legal claim.
discovert of a woman: without a husband, not covert.
dispauper to deprive of the claim of a pauper to public support.
distraint seizure of goods.
dittay (Scots) an indictment, a charge.
dowable capable of being endowed; entitled to dower.
duply a second reply in Scots law; (verb) to say in duply.
eigne first born. [Fr. aine].
emendals funds set apart for repairs, in the accounts of the Inner Temple. N.B. no EMENDAL*.
empanel impanel impannel to form a list of jurors; a panel.
empanelment the act of EMPANELLING.
enaction the passing of a bill into law.
enactive having power to enact or establish as a law.
enactment the passing of a bill into law.
enactory pertaining to the enactment of law.
essoin essoyne the giving of an excuse for not appearing in court.
essoin to excuse (someone) for not appearing in court.
estop to impede or bar by ESTOPPEL, a bar to alleging or denying a fact because of one's own previous contrary actions or words.
estoppage the condition of being barred by ESTOPPEL.
estoppel a bar to alleging or denying a fact because of one's own previous contrary actions or words.
estray a beast found within a manor or lordship, wandering from its owner; (verb) to stray.
estreat to consult court records in order to enable prosecution.
evidence to act as evidence.
evident clear > EVIDENTLY; (noun) that which serves as evidence > EVIDENTS.
excamb in Scots law, to exchange.
exculpatory tending or serving to clear from alleged fault or guilt.
executory pertaining to administration, or putting the laws in force; executive.
extradite to deliver up by one government to another, as a fugitive from justice.
extralegal outside the law.
extrality the privilege of being outside the jurisdiction of the country one is in.
eyre a journey in circuit of certain judges called justices in eyre.
factum a man's own act and deed > FACTUMS or FACTA.
fasces a bundle of rods with an axe used to symbolise authority.
fascial pertaining to the FASCES.
fascis a bundle of rods with an axe used to symbolise authority > FASCES.
fiducial of the nature of trust > FIDUCIALLY.
fiqh Islamic jurisprudence, an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law.
fixture that which is fixed or attached to something as a permanent appendage.
frithborh a surety for keeping the peace, aka FRANKPLEDGE.
frithsoken sanctuary or asylum.
frogmarch to carry an uncooperative drunkard or prisoner.
fungible (things that are) mutually interchangeable > FUNGIBLES.
furthcoming an action brought by an arrester against the arrestee and the common debtor after an arrestment in order that the arrested money or property be delivered to the arrester.
gravamen the essence or the most serious part of an accusation > GRAVAMENS or GRAVAMINA. [L. gravare, to burden and ultimately from L. gravis, heavy].
grith sanctuary, asylum.
guaranty to guarantee.
guiltiness the state of being GUILTY.
guilty worthy of blame for an offense > GUILTIER, GUILTIEST; GUILTILY.
haro in Channel Islands, a cry announcing legal redress > HAROS.
heteronomous subject to different or foreign laws.
heteronomy subordination or subjection to the law of another, as opposed to AUTONOMY.
holdership the state of being a HOLDER e.g. of a bill.
identikit a reconstructed picture of a person (esp. a suspect sought by police) assembled from features described by a witness or witnesses.
impanel see EMPANEL.
impannel see EMPANEL.
impeach to make an accusation against (a person); accuse of, charge.
impeachment the act of impeaching.
implead to institute and prosecute a suit against, in court > IMPLEADS, IMPLEADING, IMPLEADED or IMPLED.
improbation an action for the purpose of declaring some instrument false or forged.
inbring to bring in to court > INBRINGS, INBRINGING, INBROUGHT.
indagate to search out.
indict to charge with a crime.
indictable that can be indicted > INDICTABLY.
indictment the action or the legal process of indicting.
induciae in Scots law, the time limit within which (after a citation) the defendant must appear in court or reply. N.B. no INDUCIA*.
injudicial not judicial.
inquirendo the authority to inquire into something e.g. for the benefit of the Crown > INQUIRENDOS.
intendment the true meaning or intention of something, esp a law.
interess interesse an interest; (verb) to interest.
interplead to plead against each other, or go to trial between themselves, as the claimants in an interpleader.
irritancy the state of being null and void.
ish issue or expiry.
jeofail an omission or oversight in a law proceeding.
jerque to search a vessel for smuggled goods.
joinder a legal uniting or joining.
judicable capable of being judged; capable of being tried or decided upon.
judicative having power to judge; as, the judicative faculty.
judicatory pertaining to the administration of justice; dispensing justice.
judicature the power of dispensing justice by trial.
judicial relating to the process of law > JUDICIALLY.
juratory pertaining to an oath.
juridic juridical relating to the administration of justice; pertaining to a judge > JURIDICALLY.
juryless without a JURY.
justiciable liable to trial.
lagan lagend ligan cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery.
latent hidden > LATENTLY; (noun) a barely visible fingerprint that can be developed for study.
law low > LAWER, LAWEST; (obs.) to take to court.
lawful allowed by law (the body of rules governing the affairs of a community) > LAWFULLY.
lawfulness the state of being LAWFUL.
lawgiving the giving of law.
lawless having no system of laws.
lawlessness the state of being LAWLESS.
lawlike being like the law.
lawmaking the process of making law.
lawsuit a legal action.
legalise legalize to make legal.
legalism belief that salvation depends on strict adherence to the law.
legalistic inclined to LEGALISM.
legality the condition of being lawful.
legalize see LEGALISE.
legislate to make laws; to pass law in the form of an Act of Parliament or by delegated legislation.
legitimist a person who believes in the right of royal succession according to the principle of heredity and primogeniture.
lenocinium in Scots law, connivance at one's wife's adultery > LENOCINIUMS.
leviable fit to be levied; capable of being assessed and collected; as, sums leviable by course of law.
lex law > LEXES or LEGES.
ligan see LAGAN.
litigable such as can be litigated.
litigate to have recourse to LITIGATION.
litigation legal dispute esp. by means of a lawsuit.
mainprise surety for the appearance of a prisoner at trial; (verb) to allow a prisoner to go free based on a guarantee that he or she will appear in court on the designated day > MAINPRISING, MAINPRISED.
miniment muniment a means of defence; a record fortifying or proving a claim.
mirandise mirandize in USA, to inform an accused person of their rights.
misdeem to misjudge > MISDEEMS, MISDEEMING, MISDEEMED or (Spenser) MISDEMPT.
mise the issue in a writ of right.
misjoinder an incorrect union of parties or of causes of action in a procedure, criminal or civil.
misnomer the use of a wrong name or designation esp. the misnaming of a person in a legal instrument; (verb) to use a misnomer.
monition a caution; a warning, especially legal.
moratorium a legal authorization to a debtor to postpone payment for a certain time; the period of such a postponement > MORATORIA or MORATORIUMS.
moulage an impression made for use as evidence in a criminal investigation.
movant a person who applies to a court for a favorable ruling.
naam nam the action of taking another's goods by distraint; goods so taken.
neckverse the test of ability to read for those who claimed benefit of clergy, usu. Psalm 51.1.
nimious overmuch, excessive; inordinate (now chiefly as a Sc. legal term).
nisi taking effect at a specified date unless cause is shown otherwise. No —S.
nolo a type of legal plea > NOLOS.
nomistic based on law or a sacred book.
nomologic related to NOMOLOGY, the science of the laws; especially of the mind.
nomology the science of the laws; especially of the mind.
nomothetic legislative; based on law.
nomothetical giving laws; legislative.
nonage legal infancy; minority.
nonaged having the quality of NONAGE; being a minor.
nonevidence something that is not EVIDENCE.
nonguilt the state of not being guilty.
nonjoinder the omission of some person who ought to have been made a plaintiff or defendant in a suit, or of some cause of action which ought to be joined.
nonjury not judged by a jury > NONJURIES.
nonlegal not legal.
nonpros to enter a judgment against a plaintiff who fails to prosecute > NONPROSSES, NONPROSSING, NONPROSSED.
nonsuit the stopping of a suit by voluntary withdrawal of the plaintiff, or by the judge when the plaintiff has failed to make out cause of action or to bring evidence; (verb) to execute a nonsuit.
nontenured not having TENURE.
notarise notarize to attest to, authenticate.
notour in Scots law, notorious.
oathable capable of taking an oath.
objuration the act of binding by oath; a solemn charge.
objure to bind by oath; to entreat solemnly.
obligee the person to whom another is bound, or the person to whom a bond is given.
obtemper obtemperate to obey (a judgment or decree.
officiality officialty the charge, office, court, or jurisdiction of an official.
oyer a hearing in a lawcourt, an assize.
parol given by word of mouth, as in parol evidence; (noun) a parole.
parolable subject to parole.
parole to release from prison before completion of the imposed sentence.
placitory of or pertaining to pleas or pleading, in courts of law.
plea to dispute in a law-court > PLEAS, PLEAING, PLEAED.
pleadable capable of being pleaded.
preaudience the right to be heard before another; precedence at the bar among lawyers.
predication an act or instance of predicating.
prelegal occurring before the commencement of studies in law.
prepense premeditate > PREPENSELY.
prescriptive serving to prescribe; (law) acquired through uninterrupted possession > PRESCRIPTIVELY.
presentence to sentence in advance.
presentment a jury's statement to a court of matters within its knowledge.
pretrial a preliminary trial.
probation the act of proving; also, that which proves anything; proof.
probative testing, affording proof > PROBATIVELY.
prochain prochein next, as in prochein ami, a legal term.
proofless wanting sufficient evidence to induce belief; not proved.
prosecute to pursue by law.
provisory of the nature of a proviso; containing a proviso or condition > PROVISORILY.
quadruply in Scots law, a reply to a TRIPLY.
quintuply in Scots law, a reply made to a defendant's quadruply.
quash to set aside or annul.
rancel ransel ranzel a search for stolen goods.
reargument an arguing over again, as of a motion made in court.
recaption taking back by peaceable means goods, children, etc from someone who has no right to detain them.
recusal a disqualification of oneself as a judge.
recuse to refuse or reject, as a judge; to challenge that the judge shall not try the cause.
rehear to hear again; to try a second time; as, to rehear a case in Chancery
reindict to indict again.
rejoinder a sharp and clever answer; in law, the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's reply/replication.
rejudge to judge again; to reexamine.
remandment the act of remanding.
remise to surrender a claim.
replead to plead again > REPLEADS, REPLEADING, REPLEADED or REPLED.
repleader a second pleading, or course of pleadings; also, the right of pleading again.
replevin replevy to recover, or restore to the owner (goods distrained) upon pledge to try the right in legal proceedings.
reprobator in Scots law, an action to prove a witness perjured or biased.
rescission the act of rescinding.
resentence to sentence again.
retestify to testify again.
retrial a second trial.
retry to try (esp. judicially) a second time.
revendication the action of claiming back or recovering something by a formal claim.
revivor the revival of a suit which was abated by the death of a party or other cause.
ruleless destitute of rule; lawless.
seise an old spelling of SEIZE, still used legally in sense of to put in possession of property.
sentence to declare judicially the extent of punishment to be imposed.
sentencing the act of declaring judicially the extent of punishment to be imposed.
sequester to set apart; to seize by authority of a writ.
setoff the settlement of a debt by a debtor making a counterclaim against his creditor.
sextuply in Scots law, to offer a rejoinder.
sist to stay, as judicial proceedings; to delay or suspend.
solatium a compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings > SOLATIA.
sponsion the act of becoming surety for another.
stakeout an ambush, esp. by the police of criminals.
suability liability to be sued; the state of being subjected by law to civil process.
suable sueable that may be sued > SUABLY.
subrogate to substitute for another with regard to a legal right or claim.
subrogation the act of SUBROGATING.
sue to prosecute at law.
sueability the ability to be sued.
sueable see SUABLE.
summons to issue with a summons.
sumptuary relating to or regulating expense; relating to the control or moderation of extravagance.
supersedere a private agreement among creditors, under a trust-law, to supersede or sist diligence for a certain period.
suretyship the state of being surety.
surrebut to reply, as a plaintiff to a defendant's rebutter.
surrebuttal a plaintiff's evidence or presentation of evidence, in response to a defendant's rebuttal.
surrebutter in law, a plaintiff's reply to defendant's rebutter.
surrejoin to reply, as a plaintiff to a defendant's rejoinder.
surrejoinder a law plaintiff's reply to defendant's rejoinder.
surrogation surrogation.
sus a suspect > SUSES; (verb) to arrest for suspicious behaviour > SUSSES, SUSING or SUSSING, SUSED or SUSSED.
suss to arrest for suspicious behaviour.
terminer a determining; as, in OYER and TERMINER.
testation a witnessing or witness.
teste on the authority or testimony of (a specified person). [Ablative of L. testis, witness].
testify to make a declaration of truth under oath.
testimony evidence; (verb, Shakesp.) to testify.
triable fit or possible to be tried; liable to be subjected to trial or test.
triply in Scots law, to reply to a DUPLY.
ultion revenge; vengeance.
undersign to write one's name at the foot or end of, as a letter or any legal instrument.
unlaw to deprive of the authority or character of law.
unproved unproven not proved.
unpurged not purged, e.g. of crimes.
vacatur the act of annulling in law.
vag to arrest someone for vagrancy
vardy opinion, verdict.
verbal in words > VERBALLY; (noun) an oral statement made to the police; (verb) to take such a statement > VERBALS, VERBALLING, VERBALLED.
verdict the decision of a jury at the end of a legal proceeding.
verdit verdict.
vitious vicious in the specific legal sense of impaired, nullified by a flaw.
volens consenting to the risk of injury.