Words / Law
Legal English vocabulary
2,817 words grouped into 35 topics. Tap any word for its definition, an example sentence, its level and how rare it is.
Criminal law
- abduct
- abduction
- abet
- abetment
- abettor
- abscond
- absolve
- accessorial
- accessory
- accessory after the fact
- accomplice
- acquit
- actual bodily harm
- actus reus
- admissibility
- admonition
- affray
- agent provocateur
- aggravating factors
- aggravation
- aiding and abetting
- alibi
- allocution
- antecedents
- appropriation
- arraignment
- arson
- asportation
- automatism
- autrefois convict
- bail
- bail conditions
- barratry
- bench warrant
- beyond reasonable doubt
- bigamy
- binding over
- blackmail
- blameworthiness
- burden of proof
- burglary
- capias
- carceral
- caution
- charge
- circumstantial evidence
- claim of right
- clemency
- collusion
- committal for sentence
- community order
- commutation
- complicity
- compounding
- compulsion
- concurrence
- concurrent sentence
- condonation
- confiscation order
- connivance
- connive
- consecutive sentence
- conspiracy
- conviction
- coroner
- corpus delicti
- corroboration
- credit for a guilty plea
- criminalise
- culpability
- curfew
- custodial
- custodial interrogation
- custodial sentence
- custody
- custody threshold
- dangerousness
- deception
- decriminalise
- deferred sentence
- deliberation
- delinquency
- demonstrative
- denunciation
- desistance
- detainer
- determinate
- deterrence
- diminished responsibility
- direct the jury
- dishonesty
- doli incapax
- double jeopardy
- duress
- duress of circumstances
- dying declaration
- either-way offence
- embezzlement
- enter a plea
- entrapment
- examination-in-chief
- excited utterance
- exclude evidence
- exclusionary rule
- exculpate
- exhumation
- exigent circumstances
- expunge
- expungement
- extortion
- extradite
- extradition
- eyewitness
- felonious
- feloniously
- felony
- felony murder
- feticide
- forgery
- fratricide
- fruit of the poisonous tree
- fugitive
- grant bail
- grievous
- grievous bodily harm
- gross negligence manslaughter
- homicide
- in dubio pro reo
- incapacitation
- incarceration
- incest
- inchoate
- inchoate offence
- incite
- incitement
- inculpate
- indeterminate
- indict
- indictable
- indictable offence
- indictment
- infancy
- infanticide
- inquest
- inquisitorial
- insanity
- instigate
- instigation
- interception
- interrogation
- intoxication
- joint enterprise
- jury nullification
- justification
- larceny
- lenity
- lesser included offense
- loss of control
- maim
- malefactor
- malice
- malice aforethought
- malingering
- manslaughter
- menaces
- mens rea
- miscreant
- misdemeanour
- misprision
- mistrial
- mitigating
- mitigating circumstances
- modus operandi
- necessity
- no case to answer
- nolle prosequi
- nolo contendere
- non compos mentis
- non-custodial
- novus actus interveniens
- oblique intention
- obstruction
- offer no evidence
- pardon
- parole
- parricide
- peculation
- penal
- penology
- perjure
- perjury
- perpetrate
- perpetrator
- plea
- plea in mitigation
- plead guilty
- postmortem
- pre-sentence report
- premeditate
- premeditation
- presumption of innocence
- probation
- procure
- prosecutorial
- provocateur
- provocation
- quash a conviction
- reasonable force
- recidivism
- recidivist
- recklessness
- recognizance
- regicide
- rehabilitation
- remand in custody
- reprieve
- reprimand
- retrial
- retribution
- return a verdict
- scienter
- sedition
- self-defence
- self-incrimination
- self-induced intoxication
- solicitation
- suborn
- subornation
- summary offence
- summing-up
- suspended sentence
- tampering
- tariff
- testimonial
- totality principle
- toxicology
- transferred malice
- true bill
- uttering
- venire
- vindicate
- voluntariness
- warrant
- wilful
- wilful blindness
- wiretapping
- wounding
Contracts
- abandonment
- abrogation
- accede
- acceleration clause
- acceptance
- accord and satisfaction
- addendum
- adhesion
- adjudicate
- affirmance
- agreement to agree
- aleatory
- annul
- anti-deprivation principle
- anticipatory breach
- anticipatory repudiation
- apparent authority
- apportion
- approbate and reprobate
- arbitration
- assignability
- assignment
- attestation
- attributable
- avoidable
- battle of the forms
- best endeavours
- binding
- blue-pencil test
- boilerplate
- breach of contract
- business efficacy
- capacity
- carve-out
- coercive
- collateral contract
- collateral warranty
- commercial common sense
- concealment
- condition
- condition precedent
- condition subsequent
- consensual
- consensus ad idem
- consideration
- construction
- counter-restitution
- counteroffer
- counterpart
- covenant
- cross-offer
- cross-undertaking in damages
- cure period
- de minimis breach
- deed poll
- default
- del credere
- delegation
- determination
- diminution
- disaffirm
- discharge
- disgorge
- divisible
- effluxion
- election
- endorsement
- enter into a contract
- equitable set-off
- escalation clause
- escrow
- estoppel by convention
- evince
- exclusion clause
- exculpatory clause
- excusable
- executed
- exemption clause
- expectancy
- expectation interest
- express term
- expressio unius est exclusio alterius
- extinguishment
- factual matrix
- falsa demonstratio non nocet
- force majeure
- foreseeable
- forfeit
- four corners
- frustrate
- frustration
- fundamental breach
- genuine pre-estimate of loss
- good faith
- gross-up
- guarantor
- hardship clause
- heads of terms
- hell or high water clause
- hold harmless
- illusory
- immaterial
- implied term
- impossibility
- impracticability
- inadequacy
- incidental
- indemnify
- indemnitee
- indulgence
- inexcusable
- innominate term
- insolvency
- intention to create legal relations
- inure
- invitation to treat
- irremediable
- jurisdiction clause
- keep-open covenant
- latent ambiguity
- letter of intent
- liable
- liquidated damages
- lock-in agreement
- lock-out agreement
- materiality
- meeting of the minds
- memorandum of understanding
- merger clause
- mirror image rule
- misdescription
- misrepresentation
- misstatement
- mitigable
- mitigate
- most favoured nation clause
- no-oral-modification clause
- non-compete
- non est factum
- nondisclosure
- nonperformance
- noscitur a sociis
- novation
- nudum pactum
- offer
- officious bystander test
- operative provision
- past consideration
- penalty doctrine
- postal rule
- privity
- privity of contract
- promissory estoppel
- puffery
- purport
- quantification
- quantum meruit
- quantum valebat
- quasi-contract
- quia timet injunction
- receipt rule
- reciprocal
- recital
- recoup
- reformation
- reinstate
- rejection
- relief from forfeiture
- remoteness of damage
- renege
- renunciation
- representation
- repudiation
- rescindable
- rescission
- rescissory
- reservation of rights
- resile
- restrictive covenant
- revocability
- rider
- Romalpa clause
- set-off
- severability
- side letter
- solus agreement
- speculative
- step-in rights
- subrogation
- successors and assigns
- sunset clause
- surplusage
- synallagmatic
- term
- terminable
- terminate
- termination for convenience
- time-bar
- time is of the essence
- time of the essence
- total failure of consideration
- uberrimae fidei
- unconscionable
- undue influence
- variation
- vitiation
- voidability
- waiver
- warrantor
- warranty
- withdrawal
Intellectual property
- acquiescence
- acquired distinctiveness
- adaptation
- added matter
- anticipation
- assign
- attribution
- authorship
- best mode
- blanket licence
- blurring
- caricature
- cease and desist letter
- circumvention
- clearance
- coexistence
- collecting society
- compulsory licence
- confidential information
- copyright
- copyright subsists
- counterfeit goods
- counterfeiting
- cybersquatting
- database right
- deceptiveness
- decompilation
- delivery up
- derogatory treatment
- descriptive mark
- descriptiveness
- distinctive character
- distinctiveness
- divisional
- droit de suite
- embodiment
- enablement
- equitable remuneration
- equivalents
- essentiality
- evergreening
- exclusive licence
- exhaustion
- exhaustion of rights
- extraction
- fair dealing
- fanciful
- file a patent application
- fixation
- flagrancy
- FRAND
- free-riding
- freedom to operate
- functionality
- genericide
- genuine use
- get-up
- grant a licence
- grant-back
- grant of a patent
- hindsight
- honest concurrent use
- idea-expression dichotomy
- indicium
- individual character
- inducement
- inequitable conduct
- informed user
- infringe
- infringement
- integrity
- intellectual property
- interim injunction
- interoperability
- invalidation
- invalidity
- inventive step
- inventiveness
- inventorship
- lapse
- laudatory
- licence
- licensee
- licensor
- likelihood of confusion
- livery
- making available
- merchandising
- merger doctrine
- misappropriation
- moral rights
- mosaicking
- neighbouring rights
- non-disclosure agreement
- non-exclusive licence
- non-use
- novelty
- nullity
- obviousness
- opposition
- opposition proceedings
- original work
- originality
- ornamentality
- orphan work
- overall impression
- parallel imports
- parody
- passing off
- pastiche
- patent
- patent claim
- patent pending
- patent specification
- patent thicket
- patentability
- patentable
- patentee
- paternity
- piracy
- plagiarism
- pooling
- prior art
- priority
- priority date
- prophetic
- proprietor
- prosecution
- prosecution history estoppel
- quotation
- reduction to practice
- register a trade mark
- registered design
- registrable
- reissue
- repackaging
- reproduction
- resale right
- restoration
- reverse engineering
- reverse passing off
- revoke a patent
- royalty
- royalty-free
- scènes à faire
- specification
- specimen
- springboard
- springboard doctrine
- squeeze
- standard-essential
- sublicence
- subsistence
- sufficiency
- suggestive
- sui generis right
- sweat of the brow
- tarnishment
- terminal disclaimer
- trade dress
- trade mark
- trade secret
- transformative
- unjustified threats
- unregistered design right
- well-known mark
Litigation
- abuse of process
- acquittal
- additur
- adduce
- adduce evidence
- adjournment
- adjudication
- admissible
- adverse inference
- allow the appeal
- appellant
- arraign
- attachment of earnings
- bare denial
- bifurcate
- calderbank offer
- case management conference
- cause of action
- cause of action estoppel
- claim form
- class action
- conditional fee agreement
- confession and avoidance
- contempt of court
- contemptuous damages
- contributory
- contumacy
- corroborate
- costs budgeting
- costs order
- counterclaim
- damages
- damages-based agreement
- damages in lieu of an injunction
- declaratory
- defamation
- default judgment
- defendant
- demurrer
- deponent
- deposition
- detailed assessment
- detinue
- discontinue
- dismiss the appeal
- duty of care
- empanel
- enforce a judgment
- estoppel
- ex parte
- exemplary
- exhibit
- expert witness
- fieri facias
- file a defence
- forum shopping
- freezing order
- frivolous
- general damages
- gravamen
- heads of loss
- impanel
- impeach
- impeachment
- impleader
- inculpatory
- indemnity basis
- injunction
- injunctive relief
- injurious falsehood
- interlocutory
- interpleader
- interrogatories
- intervener
- issue estoppel
- issue proceedings
- joinder
- laches
- leave to appeal
- limitation
- limitation period
- liquidated
- litigant
- litigate
- litigation friend
- measure of damages
- mitigate loss
- mitigation
- motion in limine
- next friend
- nonsuit
- norwich pharmacal order
- notice to admit
- oath
- on the merits
- part 20 claim
- Part 36 offer
- particularise
- payment into court
- penal notice
- peremptory challenge
- perpetual injunction
- plaintiff
- pre-action disclosure
- prima facie
- privilege
- privileged document
- probative
- proffer
- prolix
- punitive damages
- rebut
- recuse
- rejoinder
- relief from sanctions
- remand
- remedy
- remittitur
- replevin
- request for further information
- res judicata
- rolled-up plea
- scott schedule
- search order
- serve proceedings
- set aside
- settle out of court
- sever
- skeleton argument
- slander of title
- special damages
- specific performance
- specific restitution
- spoliation
- statement of case
- statute-barred
- statutory demand
- stay of proceedings
- stipulate
- sub judice
- subpoena
- substituted service
- success fee
- summary assessment
- summation
- summons
- surrebuttal
- third party debt order
- third-party notice
- tomlin order
- tortfeasor
- tortious
- traverse
- tribunal
- undertaking
- unless order
- verdict
- vexatious
- vicarious liability
- voir dire
- wasted costs
- without notice application
- writ
- writ of possession
Property
- absolute title
- accretion
- ademption
- adverse possession
- alienability
- alienation
- allodial
- allodium
- ancient lights
- appendant
- appurtenant
- avulsion
- base fee
- beneficial interest
- bequest
- boundary
- break clause
- cestui que use
- charging order
- chattel
- chief rent
- commonhold
- completion statement
- constructive trust
- contingent remainder
- conveyance
- conveyancing
- copyhold
- copyholder
- corporeal
- curtesy
- curtilage
- deed
- defeasible
- demise
- deposit
- determinable fee
- devise
- devisee
- dilapidations
- disentail
- disseisin
- distress
- dower
- easement
- ejectment
- emphyteusis
- encroachment
- encumbrance
- enfeoff
- enfranchisement
- entail
- equitable interest
- equitable mortgage
- equity of redemption
- exchange of contracts
- executory interest
- expropriation
- fee farm
- feoffee
- feoffment
- feoffor
- foreclosure
- forfeiture
- freehold
- good leasehold
- good title
- ground rent
- hereditament
- incorporeal
- intestacy
- joint tenancy
- jointure
- land registry
- landlord
- lease
- legal charge
- lessee
- lessor
- lien
- life estate
- life tenant
- livery of seisin
- mesne profits
- mortgage
- notice to quit
- ouster
- overreach
- overriding interest
- pannage
- party wall
- peppercorn
- peppercorn rent
- perpetuity
- piscary
- planning permission
- possessory
- possessory title
- power of appointment
- probate
- profit à prendre
- proprietary estoppel
- puisne
- puisne mortgage
- purchaser
- quasi-easement
- quiet enjoyment
- rack rent
- redeem a mortgage
- registered land
- reliction
- remitter
- rent review
- rentcharge
- repairing covenant
- requisitions on title
- reversion
- reversionary
- reverter
- right of re-entry
- right of way
- riparian
- searches
- seignory
- seisin
- service charge
- servient tenement
- severance
- shifting use
- socage
- spes successionis
- springing use
- sublet
- survivorship
- tenancy
- tenancy in common
- tenant
- title
- title plan
- title register
- transfer deed
- turbary
- underlease
- usufruct
- vacant possession
- vendor
- way of necessity
- wayleave
- words of limitation
Corporate law
- accretive
- acquirer
- acquisition
- administration
- allotment
- amend the articles
- amortise
- anti-embarrassment clause
- anti-reliance clause
- antidilution
- appraisal arbitrage
- arbitrage
- arbitrageur
- articles of association
- asset purchase
- backstop
- bidder
- board of directors
- bolt-on
- bookbuild
- bookrunner
- buyback
- buyout
- chargee
- chargor
- cliff
- completion
- completion accounts
- conflict of interest
- constitution
- cornerstone
- corporate opportunity doctrine
- crown-jewel defence
- de facto merger doctrine
- dead-hand provision
- defalcation
- delisting
- dematerialisation
- derivative
- derivative claim
- dilutive
- director
- disclosure letter
- disgorgement
- distributable reserves
- dividend
- dividend recapitalization
- downround
- drag-along right
- due diligence
- entire fairness
- exculpation
- fiduciary duty
- fiduciary out
- file at the registry
- franked
- fungible
- general meeting
- greenmail
- greenshoe
- hive-up
- hurdle
- impairment
- incorporate
- indemnification
- inquorate
- insolvent
- issue shares
- knowledge qualifier
- leverage
- limited liability
- liquidation
- locked-box mechanism
- malfeasance
- malus
- matching right
- materiality scrape
- memorandum of association
- mezzanine
- misfeasance
- nominal value
- non-executive director
- oppression
- ordinary resolution
- ordinary shares
- oversubscribed
- phoenixism
- pierce the corporate veil
- pledge
- postponement
- pre-emption rights
- predator
- preemption
- preference shares
- promoter
- proxy
- quasi-partnership
- quasi-security
- quorate
- raider
- ranking
- ratification
- recapitalisation
- recapitalise
- receiver
- reconstruction
- redomicile
- redomiciliation
- reduction of capital
- reincorporate
- renounceable
- resolution
- retention
- revaluation
- reverse triangular merger
- rollover equity
- run-off cover
- sandbagging
- sell-out
- share capital
- share premium
- share purchase agreement
- shareholder
- shareholders' agreement
- special resolution
- spin-off
- stabilisation
- staggered board
- standstill
- stub equity
- subsidiarisation
- subsidiary
- successor liability
- syndication
- tag-along
- tipping basket
- toehold
- unbundling
- underwrite
- underwriting
- unfair prejudice
- usurpation
- warehousing
- whitewash
- wind up
- wolf pack
- writedown
- wrongful trading
Arbitration
- acrimonious
- ad hoc arbitration
- adjudge
- adversarial
- annulment
- anti-suit injunction
- appointing authority
- arbitrability
- arbitral
- arbitral tribunal
- arbitrament
- arbitrate
- arbitration agreement
- arbitration clause
- arbitrator
- award
- bifurcation
- brinkmanship
- caucus
- chairman
- challenge
- challenge to an arbitrator
- claimant
- clause
- co-arbitrator
- cognisance
- colourable
- compromis
- conciliate
- conciliation
- conciliator
- conciliatory
- consent award
- consolidation
- contentious
- costs
- costs follow the event
- counter-memorial
- cross-examination
- curial law
- delocalisation
- delocalise
- detente
- determinative
- dilatory
- disclosure
- disclosure of conflicts
- discovery
- disputant
- disqualification
- dissent
- dissenting
- dissenting opinion
- document production
- domesticate
- emergency
- emergency arbitrator
- emollient
- enforce
- enforceability
- enforcement
- equivocate
- escalation
- evaluative
- exequatur
- facilitative
- facilitator
- final award
- functus
- homologate
- hot-tubbing
- impartiality
- impasse
- implacable
- independence
- institution
- institutional
- institutional arbitration
- intercede
- interim
- interim measures
- intermediation
- intransigence
- intransigent
- Kompetenz-Kompetenz
- lex arbitri
- litigious
- mediate
- mediation
- memorial
- Model Law
- mollify
- multi-tier clause
- multiparty
- mutuality
- neutrality
- New York Convention
- obdurate
- obfuscate
- partial award
- party-appointed arbitrator
- pathological
- placatory
- presiding arbitrator
- prevaricate
- procedural order
- propitiate
- provisional
- public policy exception
- rapprochement
- reasoned
- reasoned award
- recalcitrant
- recognition
- recognition and enforcement
- Redfern
- Redfern Schedule
- reference
- respondent
- scrutiny of the award
- seat
- seat of arbitration
- security for costs
- separability
- setting-aside
- situs
- sole arbitrator
- sovereign immunity
- specious
- stalemate
- statement of claim
- statement of defence
- stay
- stonewall
- submission
- submission agreement
- temporise
- tenable
- terms of reference
- tribunal secretary
- umpirage
- umpire
- untenable
- vacatur
- venue
- venue of the hearing
- without prejudice
- witness statement
Evidence & procedure
- abatement
- affirmant
- affirmation
- attestant
- attestor
- authenticate
- authenticity
- avow
- avowal
- bailiff
- balance of probabilities
- ballistics
- best evidence rule
- case management
- caveat
- champerty
- circumstantial
- cogency
- cogent
- cognovit
- collateral attack
- collusive
- committal
- compellability
- compellable
- confute
- continuance
- controvert
- corroborant
- credibility
- damning
- directions
- disavow
- disavowal
- disbursement
- discontinuance
- discoverable
- discredit
- dissemble
- docket
- estreat
- evidential
- evidential burden
- evidentiary
- exclusionary
- expert evidence
- fabricate
- fabrication
- falsification
- falsify
- forensic
- forum non conveniens
- gainsay
- garnishee
- genuineness
- give disclosure
- guardian ad litem
- hearsay notice
- hostile witness
- in camera
- inadmissible
- incontrovertible
- incriminate
- inference
- interrogate
- irrefutable
- judicial notice
- lay a foundation
- leading question
- legal advice privilege
- legal burden
- legal professional privilege
- lis pendens
- list of documents
- litigation privilege
- mendacious
- mendacity
- misjoinder
- nonjoinder
- onus
- overriding objective
- parol evidence rule
- particulars
- particulars of claim
- perjurer
- praecipe
- preclusion
- prejudicial
- prejudicial effect
- preponderance
- present sense impression
- presumption
- prior inconsistent statement
- privilege log
- pro hac vice
- probative value
- probatory
- propensity evidence
- provenance
- public interest immunity
- re-examination
- real prospect of success
- rebuttable
- rebuttable presumption
- rebutter
- recant
- recantation
- recoupment
- redact
- redaction
- refreshing recollection
- refute
- registrar
- relation back
- relevance
- replication
- res gestae
- retract
- reverse burden
- ripeness
- scintilla
- self-serving
- similar fact evidence
- specific disclosure
- standard disclosure
- standard of proof
- statement of truth
- statements of case
- strike out
- subpoena duces tecum
- summary judgment
- suppress
- suppression
- surrebutter
- talesman
- tamper
- unimpeachable
- unredacted
- veracity
- veridical
- verification
- viva voce
- vouch
- waive privilege
- want of prosecution
- weight of evidence
- work-product doctrine
Tax law
- abusive
- accrual
- accumulated earnings tax
- advance pricing agreement
- allowable
- allowable deduction
- allowance
- amortisation
- apportionment
- arm's length principle
- arrears
- artificiality
- assessable
- assessment
- badges of trade
- balancing charge
- base erosion
- betterment levy
- buoyancy
- capital allowance
- chargeable
- chargeable event
- chargeable gain
- composite
- concession
- concessionary
- conduit
- conduit company
- constructive receipt
- contrivance
- contrived
- controlled foreign company
- counteract
- counteraction
- crown preference
- deductible
- deferral
- degrouping
- depreciation
- depreciation recapture
- direct taxation
- disallowable expenditure
- disallowance
- disclosable
- discovery assessment
- disguised remuneration
- distraint
- dividend stripping
- double tax treaty
- double taxation
- duty
- earmark
- earmarking
- economic nexus
- enabler
- equitable recoupment
- evasion
- exaction
- excise
- excise duty
- exempt supply
- exemption
- exigible
- fisc
- fiscal
- fiscal drag
- fiscal nullity
- formulary apportionment
- franking
- garnishment
- general anti-abuse rule
- group relief
- holdover
- hybrid mismatch
- hypothetical tenant
- imposition
- impost
- imputation
- incidence
- indexation
- indirect taxation
- input tax
- inversion
- levy
- margin scheme
- nexus
- notifiable
- notional
- option to tax
- output tax
- partial exemption
- participation exemption
- pass-through
- penalty
- permanent establishment
- preordained
- profit shifting
- progressive
- progressivity
- Ramsay principle
- rebasing
- rebate
- regressive
- reinvestment
- relief
- remission
- remittance
- remittance basis
- repatriate
- reservation of benefit
- rollover
- rollover relief
- self-assessment
- sideways relief
- stamp duty
- step-up in basis
- substance over form
- surcharge
- taper
- taper relief
- tax avoidance
- tax base
- tax haven
- tax liability
- tax point
- tax residence
- taxable
- taxable profit
- thin capitalisation
- thin capitalization
- transfer pricing
- treaty shopping
- tribute
- uplift
- walking possession
- wasting
- wholly and exclusively
- withholding
- withholding tax
- write-down
- zero-rated
Tort
- abate
- account of profits
- actionability
- actionable
- aggravated
- aggravated damages
- amends
- bailee
- battery
- betterment
- blameworthy
- bolam test
- breach of duty
- break the chain of causation
- bring a claim
- but-for test
- calumny
- causal
- causation
- causative
- change of position
- clinical negligence
- collateral source rule
- compensable
- compensatory
- consortium
- constructive total loss
- contribution
- contributory negligence
- contumelious
- conversion
- cost of cure
- culpa
- deceit
- defamatory
- deleterious
- delictual
- dereliction
- detriment
- detrimental
- diminution in value
- disablement
- disparagement
- duty to warn
- eggshell skull rule
- egregious
- equitable compensation
- exacerbate
- factual causation
- flagrant
- foreseeability
- gain-based damages
- hazard
- hazardous
- hedonic damages
- heedless
- imperil
- impute
- in specie
- inadvertence
- inadvertent
- incapacity
- injurious
- innuendo
- interim payment
- joint and several liability
- legal causation
- liability
- libel
- loss of a chance
- loss of amenity
- loss of earnings
- malinger
- mayhem
- money had and received
- multiplicand
- multiplier
- negligent
- negotiating damages
- nervous shock
- nominal
- nondelegable
- nonfeasance
- nuisance
- occupiers' liability
- omission
- owe a duty of care
- pain, suffering and loss of amenity
- palpable
- parasitic damages
- pecuniary
- peril
- periodical payments order
- personal injury
- prognosis
- propensity
- provisional damages
- proximate
- proximity
- punitive
- pure economic loss
- quantifiable
- reasonable man
- reasonably foreseeable
- reckless
- recompense
- recoverable
- redressable
- reimbursement
- reliance
- reliance interest
- remediable
- remediation
- requital
- restitutio in integrum
- restitutionary damages
- sequela
- slander
- solatium
- standard of care
- strict liability
- supervening
- tort
- tortfeasance
- traduce
- trespass
- trespass to the person
- trespasser
- trover
- ultrahazardous
- unforeseeable
- unjust enrichment
- vilify
- vindicatory damages
- waiver of tort
- wanton
- wrongdoer
Employment law
- absenteeism
- ACAS early conciliation
- after-acquired evidence
- annualised
- apprenticeship
- band of reasonable responses
- basic award
- bereavement
- blackleg
- blue-pencil
- blue-pencil doctrine
- bumping
- bumping rights
- casualisation
- cat's-paw liability
- collective consultation
- compensatory award
- condone
- constructive dismissal
- constructive knowledge
- consultation
- continuous employment
- contract of employment
- demotion
- derecognition
- deskill
- direct discrimination
- disciplinary procedure
- discriminatory
- dismiss without notice
- dismissal
- disparate impact
- donning and doffing
- downsizing
- duty of fair representation
- economic realities test
- employment tribunal
- faithless servant doctrine
- featherbedding
- front pay
- furlough
- gangmaster
- garden leave
- gratuity
- grievance
- gross misconduct
- harassment
- honorarium
- incentivise
- indirect discrimination
- inevitable disclosure doctrine
- insubordination
- joint employer
- journeyman
- just cause
- last-chance agreement
- lay-off
- lockout
- make-whole relief
- me-too evidence
- misconduct
- mitigation of loss
- mixed-motive
- moonlight
- moonlighting
- mutual trust and confidence
- name-clearing hearing
- non-solicitation
- notice period
- objective justification
- offboarding
- outplacement
- pay in lieu of notice
- perquisite
- picketing
- precariat
- presenteeism
- pretext
- probationary period
- probationer
- progressive discipline
- protected characteristic
- protected disclosure
- protective award
- re-engagement
- reasonable adjustments
- reasonable investigation
- redeploy
- redeployment
- redundancy
- redundancy payment
- reinstatement
- remunerate
- respondeat superior
- retaliation
- retrenchment
- rightsizing
- sabbatical
- same-actor inference
- secondary boycott
- secondee
- secondment
- settlement agreement
- sinecure
- stray remarks doctrine
- strikebreaker
- subcontractor
- summary dismissal
- suspend on full pay
- tortious interference
- transfer of undertakings
- transferee
- transferor
- tronc
- undue hardship
- unfair dismissal
- unfair labor practice
- victimisation
- whistleblower
- whistleblowing
- worker status
- written statement of particulars
- wrongful dismissal
- yellow-dog contract
- zero-hours contract
Legal drafting
- above-mentioned
- aforesaid
- annexure
- as between
- as the case may be
- attest
- by reason of
- by virtue of
- construe
- covenantee
- covenantor
- deem
- deemed
- determinable
- duly
- engross
- execute
- execution
- for the avoidance of doubt
- for the purposes of
- grantee
- grantor
- habendum
- having regard to
- henceforth
- hereby
- herein
- hereinbefore
- hereof
- hereunder
- herewith
- howsoever
- in accordance with
- in consideration of
- in respect of
- in witness whereof
- including but not limited to
- including without limitation
- indemnitor
- insofar as
- ipso facto
- jointly and severally
- now, therefore
- obligee
- obligor
- operative
- preamble
- provided that
- pursuant to
- recite
- reddendum
- said
- save as
- save that
- shall
- stipulation
- subject to
- such
- testimonium
- thereafter
- therein
- thereto
- thereunder
- to the extent that
- undersigned
- unenforceable
- unless the context otherwise requires
- waive
- whensoever
- whereas
- wheresoever
- whichever is the earlier
- with respect to
- without limiting
- without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing
Banking & finance law
- acceleration
- all-monies guarantee
- appraisal rights
- availability period
- bespeaks-caution doctrine
- bookbuilding
- bought deal
- break costs
- cash sweep
- certain funds
- churning
- clean-down
- comfort letter
- commitment fee
- covenant-lite
- cross-default
- crown-jewel defense
- crystallisation
- dead-hand pill
- debt service cover ratio
- due-diligence defense
- facility agent
- facility agreement
- financial covenant
- fixed charge
- flowback
- fraud-on-the-market
- increased costs
- incurrence covenant
- integration
- intercreditor agreement
- interest cover ratio
- leverage ratio
- loss causation
- maintenance covenant
- majority lenders
- make-whole premium
- mandated lead arranger
- mandatory prepayment
- margin ratchet
- matched orders
- misappropriation theory
- negative pledge
- no-action letter
- participation
- ratchet
- revolving credit facility
- scalping
- seasoning
- security agent
- selective disclosure
- shelf takedown
- spoofing
- stabilization
- standstill agreement
- sub-participation
- subordination
- syndicate
- term loan
- ticking fee
- tippee
- tranche
- transfer certificate
- utilisation
- white squire
- yank the bank
Constitutional & public
- absolute right
- amenable to judicial review
- audi alteram partem
- bicameralism
- checks and balances
- codified constitution
- comity
- constituent power
- constitutional convention
- constitutionalism
- declaration of incompatibility
- delegated legislation
- derogation
- devolution
- dualism
- enabling act
- entrenched
- entrenchment
- error of law
- federalism
- fettering of discretion
- habeas corpus
- Henry VIII clause
- horizontal effect
- illegality
- incorporation
- intra vires
- irrationality
- judicial deference
- justiciability
- legislative competence
- legitimate aim
- legitimate expectation
- mandatory order
- margin of appreciation
- monism
- natural justice
- nemo iudex in causa sua
- non-justiciable
- ouster clause
- parliamentary sovereignty
- political question doctrine
- prescribed by law
- pressing social need
- procedural impropriety
- prohibiting order
- proportionality
- purposive interpretation
- qualified right
- quashing order
- reading down
- reserved matters
- royal prerogative
- rule against bias
- rule of law
- separation of powers
- sufficient interest
- supermajority
- supremacy clause
- uncodified constitution
- vertical effect
- Wednesbury unreasonableness
Legal Latin
- ab initio
- ad idem
- autrefois acquit
- bona fide
- caveat emptor
- chose in action
- codicil
- curator
- de facto
- de jure
- de minimis
- de minimis non curat lex
- delict
- dictum
- ei incumbit probatio qui dicit
- ex turpi causa
- fiat
- hypothec
- ignorantia juris non excusat
- imprimatur
- in limine
- in loco parentis
- in pari delicto
- indicia
- inter partes
- intestate
- jus cogens
- jus tertii
- mala fide
- manumission
- nemo dat quod non habet
- nemo judex in causa sua
- nisi
- nulla poena sine lege
- onus probandi
- pacta sunt servanda
- primogeniture
- pro bono
- pro rata
- quaere
- quia timet
- reddendo singula singulis
- res ipsa loquitur
- simpliciter
- sui generis
- sui juris
- testator
- testatrix
- usufructuary
- volenti non fit injuria
Family law
- acknowledgement of service
- best interests
- Cafcass
- child arrangements order
- child maintenance
- children's guardian
- clean break
- coercive control
- conduct
- consent order
- contact
- decree absolute
- decree nisi
- dissolution
- domestic abuse
- file for divorce
- financial disclosure
- financial remedy
- financial settlement
- form e
- full and frank disclosure
- guardian
- guardianship
- irretrievable breakdown
- lump sum order
- matrimonial assets
- matrimonial home
- needs-based approach
- no-fault divorce
- non-matrimonial property
- non-molestation order
- occupation order
- paramount consideration
- parental responsibility
- pension sharing order
- periodical payments
- petitioner
- postnuptial agreement
- prenuptial agreement
- prohibited steps order
- residence
- ring-fence
- section 7 report
- shared care
- specific issue order
- spousal maintenance
- welfare checklist
- welfare of the child
Insolvency & restructuring
- absolute priority rule
- adequate protection
- administrator
- attachment
- avoidance
- commingling
- composition
- concordat
- cram-down
- cross-class cram-down
- deepening insolvency
- deficiency
- deleveraging
- disclaimer
- distressed
- equitable mootness
- equitable subordination
- exit consent
- fulcrum security
- holdout
- insolvency set-off
- liquidator
- loan-to-own
- marshalling
- nominee
- onerous property
- phoenixing
- pre-pack
- preferential
- prescribed part
- priming lien
- recharacterisation
- reservation of title
- roll-up
- stalking horse
- subordinated
- substantive consolidation
- supervisor
- transaction at an undervalue
- turnaround
- twilight period
- undercapitalised
- unliquidated
- uptiering
- voidable preference
- waterfall
- workout
Conveyancing & land
- abeyance
- advowson
- alluvion
- appurtenance
- attorn
- attornment
- bona vacantia
- clog on the equity of redemption
- conveyancer
- coparcenary
- defeasance
- demesne
- distrain
- emblements
- engrossment
- equitable conversion
- escheat
- estovers
- fixture
- flying freehold
- foreshore
- gazumping
- gazundering
- incorporeal hereditament
- indenture
- leasehold
- littoral
- merger
- messuage
- metes and bounds
- moiety
- mortgagee
- mortgagor
- mortmain
- overreaching
- possibility of reverter
- prescription
- remainder
- remainderman
- requisition
- reversioner
- riparian rights
- subinfeudation
- surrender
- tacking
- tenement
Data protection & privacy
- accountability principle
- adequacy decision
- administrative fine
- anonymisation
- appropriate technical and organisational measures
- automated decision-making
- binding corporate rules
- breach notification
- consent
- data controller
- data minimisation
- data processing agreement
- data processor
- data protection by design and by default
- data protection impact assessment
- data protection officer
- data subject
- data subject access request
- explicit consent
- international data transfer
- joint controllers
- lawful basis
- lead supervisory authority
- legitimate interests
- legitimate interests assessment
- one-stop-shop mechanism
- personal data
- personal data breach
- privacy notice
- profiling
- pseudonymisation
- purpose limitation
- record of processing activities
- restriction of processing
- right of access
- right to data portability
- right to erasure
- right to object
- right to rectification
- special category data
- standard contractual clauses
- storage limitation
- sub-processor
- supervisory authority
- withdraw consent
- without undue delay
Human rights
- apartheid
- arbitrary
- asylum
- blasphemy
- censorship
- complementarity
- conscription
- degrading
- deportation
- disappearance
- disenfranchisement
- empowerment
- enslavement
- expulsion
- extrajudicial
- extraterritoriality
- genocide
- horizontality
- impunity
- inalienable
- incommunicado
- indivisibility
- inhuman
- interdependence
- mainstreaming
- marginalisation
- naturalisation
- non-derogable
- non-discrimination
- non-refoulement
- persecution
- redress
- refoulement
- rendition
- reparation
- repatriation
- reprisal
- reservation
- self-determination
- servitude
- signatory
- statelessness
- surveillance
- trafficking
- universality
- vulnerability
Advanced English
- abrogate
- accord
- anticipatory
- assignee
- assignor
- attainder
- autocracy
- cloture
- contingent
- countersign
- derogate
- despotism
- enforceable
- executory
- filibuster
- gerrymandering
- hereinafter
- hereto
- interpellation
- majoritarianism
- malapportionment
- notwithstanding
- nugatory
- nullification
- offeree
- offeror
- oligarchy
- plebiscite
- prerogative
- promisee
- promisor
- prorogation
- prorogue
- proscribe
- reciprocity
- referendum
- restitution
- secession
- severable
- sovereignty
- tender
- thereof
- unconscionability
- vitiate
- wherein
Company & governance
- abstain
- accountability
- affiliate
- amalgamate
- auditor
- beneficial
- capitalise
- casting
- codetermination
- convene
- convertible
- cumulative
- deadlock
- delegable
- deliberative
- delist
- disenfranchise
- distributable
- divestment
- emolument
- enfranchise
- entrench
- franchise
- incumbency
- mandate
- memorandum
- non-executive
- oversight
- plenary
- plurality
- poll
- probity
- reconstitute
- reconvene
- redeemable
- remuneration
- scrip
- solvency
- stakeholder
- stewardship
- subscriber
- tenure
- transmission
- wrongful
Public law
- apparent bias
- cassation
- collateral challenge
- collateral order doctrine
- Convention rights
- curial deference
- declaration
- due process
- duty to give reasons
- error of law on the face of the record
- exhaustion of remedies
- fetter one's discretion
- functus officio
- grant permission
- hard-look review
- Human Rights Act
- improper purpose
- interested party
- judicial review
- jurisdictional error
- leapfrog appeal
- letter before claim
- mootness
- palpable and overriding error
- permission stage
- polycentricity
- pre-action protocol
- prerogative power
- prospective overruling
- protective costs order
- public authority
- public body
- reformatio in peius
- relator action
- relevant considerations
- remit
- remittal
- respondent's notice
- statutory instrument
- substantive hearing
- supersedeas
- supervisory jurisdiction
- unlawful
- Wednesbury unreasonable
EU law
- abstention
- accession
- acquis
- approximation
- autonomy
- co-decision
- codification
- comitology
- competence
- conferral
- deference
- delegated
- differentiation
- directive
- effectiveness
- enlargement
- equivalence
- europhile
- eurosceptic
- gold-plating
- harmonisation
- intergovernmentalism
- invocability
- ombudsman
- opt-out
- passporting
- presidency
- primacy
- purposive
- rapporteur
- recast
- regulation
- renvoi
- spillover
- standing
- subsidiarity
- supranational
- supranationalism
- supremacy
- teleological
- transpose
- transposition
- trilogue
Competition & antitrust
- abuse of a dominant position
- as-efficient competitor test
- bid-rigging
- commitments decision
- Community dimension
- concentration
- concerted practice
- coordinated effects
- dawn raid
- demand-side substitutability
- divestiture
- dominant position
- essential facilities doctrine
- exclusionary abuse
- exploitative abuse
- failing firm defence
- fidelity rebate
- follow-on damages claim
- gun-jumping
- hub-and-spoke conspiracy
- leniency programme
- margin squeeze
- market economy operator principle
- merger control
- notifiable transaction
- passing-on defence
- Phase I
- Phase II
- predatory pricing
- recovery of unlawful aid
- refusal to supply
- relevant market
- remedies
- restriction by effect
- restriction by object
- selective advantage
- significant impediment to effective competition
- SSNIP test
- standstill obligation
- State aid
- statement of objections
- tying
- unilateral effects
Trusts & equity
- accumulation
- advancement
- certainty
- cestui que trust
- constructive
- corpus
- cy-près
- dependent relative revocation
- devastavit
- donatio mortis causa
- equitable
- equity
- exoneration
- fideicommissum
- holographic
- hotchpot
- imputed
- knowing receipt
- maintenance
- mandatory
- Mareva
- mutual wills
- nuncupative
- per stirpes
- pour-over
- precatory
- prohibitory
- proprietary
- protective
- protector
- Quistclose
- resulting
- resulting trust
- satisfaction
- secret trust
- settlor
- sham
- spendthrift
- testamentary
- tracing
- trustee
- volunteer
Shipping & maritime
- action in rem
- arrest of a vessel
- arrived ship
- average adjuster
- average bond
- bareboat charter
- bill of lading
- both-to-blame collision
- claused bill of lading
- clean bill of lading
- collision regulations
- deadfreight
- despatch money
- deviation
- disponent owner
- document of title
- freight
- general average
- general average act
- Hague-Visby Rules
- jettison
- laytime
- letter of indemnity
- liberty clause
- lien on cargo
- Lloyd's Open Form
- maritime lien
- mate's receipt
- no cure, no pay
- notice of readiness
- P&I club
- particular average
- safe port
- salvage
- sea waybill
- seaworthiness
- sister ship
- special compensation
- time charter
- voyage charter
- York-Antwerp Rules
Advocacy
- a fortiori
- affidavit
- allege
- amicus curiae
- arguendo
- aver
- contend
- contra proferentem
- contumacious
- cross-examine
- culpable
- de bene esse
- ejusdem generis
- exculpatory
- hearsay
- impugn
- inter alia
- locus standi
- mutatis mutandis
- negligence
- nunc pro tunc
- obiter dictum
- ostensible
- overrule
- pari passu
- per curiam
- per incuriam
- peroration
- precedent
- quantum
- quash
- ratio decidendi
- rebuttal
- seriatim
- stare decisis
- sub silentio
- tergiversation
- testify
- testimony
- uphold
Legal register & letters
- accordingly
- as a matter of urgency
- by reason of the matters aforesaid
- for the reasons set out above
- further or alternatively
- further to
- I am grateful
- I am instructed by
- I trust this clarifies matters
- I write to advise you
- if I may take your Lordship to
- in any event
- in due course
- in my respectful submission
- in the premises
- it is respectfully submitted that
- letter before action
- make no admissions
- may it please your Lordship
- my learned friend
- open correspondence
- particulars of which are as follows
- please find enclosed
- prayer for relief
- put to strict proof
- Request for Arbitration
- save as expressly admitted
- seat of the arbitration
- should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact
- the Claimant will rely on
- the Respondent respectfully submits
- the Tribunal
- unless I can assist the court further
- we act on behalf of
- we are instructed that
- we should be grateful if you would
- with the greatest respect
- without prejudice save as to costs
Legislation
- anti-dilution
- beneficial owner
- bylaw
- clawback
- codify
- debenture
- derivative action
- divest
- drag-along
- earn-out
- enact
- fiduciary
- floating charge
- forbearance
- gearing
- goodwill
- hive-down
- jurisdiction
- jurisprudence
- material adverse change
- moratorium
- pre-emption
- promulgate
- provision
- proviso
- ratify
- recitals
- repeal
- rescind
- restraint of trade
- squeeze-out
- statute
- statutory
- suretyship
- ultra vires
- vesting
Immigration law
- abjure
- absconder
- adjudicator
- allegiance
- amnesty
- asylee
- beneficiary
- biometrics
- cancellation
- cessation
- clandestine
- consular
- curtail
- curtailment
- denaturalisation
- denizen
- dependant
- deportable
- deportee
- destitution
- detainee
- discretionary
- domicile
- excludable
- inadmissibility
- overstayer
- parolee
- proscribed
- regularisation
- removability
- revocation
- sojourner
- sponsorship
- stateless
- undocumented
Commercial law
- accrue
- agency
- amalgamation
- bailment
- cartel
- charterparty
- collateral
- consignment
- counterparty
- crystallise
- demerger
- demurrage
- dilution
- distributorship
- factoring
- flotation
- gratuitous
- hypothecate
- hypothecation
- indemnity
- innominate
- netting
- novate
- onerous
- prospectus
- quorum
- receivership
- rectification
- redemption
- remoteness
- repudiate
- vest
- vicarious
- voidable
Contract collocations
- act in good faith
- at arm's length
- breach of warranty
- consequential loss
- entire agreement clause
- exclude liability
- execute as a deed
- execute in counterparts
- give a covenant
- governing law
- grant an indemnity
- gross negligence and wilful misconduct
- incorporate by reference
- indemnify against
- limitation of liability
- long-stop date
- material breach
- no waiver
- novate the contract
- penalty clause
- reasonable endeavours
- representations and warranties
- represents and warrants
- repudiatory breach
- rescind the contract
- right of set-off
- severability clause
- subject to contract
- submit to the jurisdiction
- survive termination
- vary the agreement
- waive a right
- without prejudice to
Court & advocacy
- affiant
- averment
- certiorari
- corroborative
- demur
- depose
- dispositive
- enjoin
- estop
- exonerate
- foreperson
- interrogatory
- jurat
- justiciable
- mandamus
- peremptory
- propound
- recusal
- sequester
- sequestration
- surety
- surrejoinder
- vacate
Legal collocations
- award damages
- bring an action
- discharge an obligation
- grant an injunction
- in breach of
- reach a settlement
- serve notice
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