Search for: legalism
2461 Etymology dictionary, p. conversation (n.).3
… , a legal term for adultery from late 18c. Conversation-piece is from 1712 as "painting representing a group of figures arranged as if in conversation;" 1784 …
2462 Etymology dictionary, p. conveyance (n.).2
… is legally conveyed" is from 1570s; sense "means of transportation" is attested from 1590s. Related: Conveyancer; conveyancing (n.). The Old French abstract noun …
2463 Etymology dictionary, p. corporate (adj.).2
… a legal corporation," as a number of individuals empowered to do business as an individual, in early use often of municipalities, from Latin corporatus, past …
2464 Etymology dictionary, p. corporation (n.).3
Meaning "legally authorized entity, artificial person created by law from a group or succession of persons" (such as municipal governments and modern business companies) is from 1610s.
2465 Etymology dictionary, p. corroborate (v.).2
… give (legal) confirmation to," from Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare "to strengthen, invigorate," from assimilated form of com "with, together …
2466 Etymology dictionary, p. counsel (n.).2
… gives legal counsel," attested late 14c.
2467 Etymology dictionary, p. counselor (n.).3
… professional legal advice, a counseling lawyer," is from 1530s. Psychological sense (as in marriage counselor, is from 1940).
2468 Etymology dictionary, p. counterpart (n.).2
mid-15c., countre part "duplicate of a legal document," from French contrepartie, from contre "facing, opposite" (see contra (prep., adv.)) + partie "copy of a person or thing," originally fem. past participle of partir "to divide" (see party (n.)).
2469 Etymology dictionary, p. court (n.).4
… the legal meaning "a tribunal for judicial investigation" (c. 1300, early assemblies for justice were overseen by the sovereign personally), also "hall or chamber …
2470 Etymology dictionary, p. cove (n.1).3
… the legal phrase cove and keie "right of the mistress of a household to control 'pantry and key,'" that is, to manage the household (late 13c.).
2471 Etymology dictionary, p. crackdown (n.).2
also crack-down, "legal or disciplinary severity," 1935, from the verbal phrase (1915), from crack (v.) + down (adv.); perhaps from crack (v.) in the sense of "to shoot at" (by 1913), or from the figurative notion in crack the whip .
2472 Etymology dictionary, p. criminal (adj.).2
… a legally punishable offense, of the nature of a crime;" late 15c., "guilty of crime," from Old French criminel, criminal "criminal, despicable, wicked" (11c.) and directly …
2473 Etymology dictionary, p. culprit (n.).2
… to legal tradition from Anglo-French cul prit, a contraction of Culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) "guilty, ready (to prove our case)," words used by prosecutor …
2474 Etymology dictionary, p. curtilage (n.).2
… a legal word for "the enclosed land occupied by the dwelling and its yard and out-buildings."
2475 Etymology dictionary, p. dame (n.).3
… the legal title for the wife of a knight or baronet.
2476 Etymology dictionary, p. damn (v.).2
… a legal term, "to condemn, declare guilty, convict;" c. 1300 in the theological sense of "doom to punishment in a future state," from Old French damner "damn, condemn …
2477 Etymology dictionary, p. damn (v.).3
The legal meaning "pronounce judgment upon" evolved in the Latin word. The optative expletive use likely is as old as the theological sense. Damn and its derivatives …
2478 Etymology dictionary, p. decriminalize (v.).2
1963, "to reform a criminal," back-formation from decriminalization. Meaning "to make legal something that formerly had been illegal" was in use by 1970 (there are isolated instances back to 1867). Related: Decriminalized; decriminalizing .
2479 Etymology dictionary, p. de facto.2
Latin, literally "in fact, in reality," thus, "existing, but not necessarily legally ordained or morally right;" from facto, ablative of factum "deed, act" (see de + fact ).
2480 Etymology dictionary, p. default (v.).2
… a legal or pecuniary one, is from late 15c. Related: Defaulted; defaulting .