Search for: legalism
2481 Etymology dictionary, p. defendant (n.).2
… the legal sense "a party sued in a court of law," from Anglo-French, Old French defendant (Modern French défendant ), noun use of present participle of defendre …
2482 Etymology dictionary, p. deforestation (n.).2
… a legal term for the change in definition of a parcel of land from "forest" to something else.
2483 Etymology dictionary, p. deforest (v.).2
… the legal status of a forest" (mid-15c., from Old French).
2484 Etymology dictionary, p. demand (v.).3
Meaning "ask for with insistence or urgency" is from early 15c., from Anglo-French legal use ("to ask for as a right"). Meaning "require as necessary or useful" is by 1748. Related: Demanded; demanding .
2485 Etymology dictionary, p. demesne (n.).3
Re-spelled by Anglo-French legal scribes under influence of Old French mesnie "household" (and the concept of a demesne as "land attached to a mansion") and their fondness for inserting -s- before -n-. Essentially the same word as domain .
2486 Etymology dictionary, p. demur (v.).3
… a legal sense attested from the 1620s: "admit provisionally the facts of the opponent's proceeding but deny he is entitled to legal relief," a verb from demurrer …
2487 Etymology dictionary, p. demurrer (n.).2
… as legal pleading to the effect that, even conceding the facts to be as alleged by the opponent, he is not entitled to legal relief, from Anglo-French demurrer …
2488 Etymology dictionary, p. denizen (n.).2
… ," especially "legally established inhabitant of a city or borough, a citizen as distinguished from a non-resident native or a foreigner," from Anglo-French …
2489 Etymology dictionary, p. designer (n.).2
… avoid legal restrictions, is attested by 1983.
2490 Etymology dictionary, p. detainer (n.).2
1530s, "one who detains," agent noun from detain. As a legal term, "a detaining in one's possession" (what belongs to another), 1610s, from Anglo-French detener, from Old French detenir (noun use of infinitive).
2491 Etymology dictionary, p. detain (v.).3
Legal sense of "to hold in custody" is from late 15c. (late 13c. in Anglo-French). Meaning "keep or restrain from proceeding" is from 1590s. Modern spelling is 17c., from influence of contain, retain, etc. Related: Detained; detaining .
2492 Etymology dictionary, p. detainee (n.).2
"person held in legal custody," 1914, from detain + -ee .
2493 Etymology dictionary, p. dictum (n.).2
… "). In legal use, a judge's expression of opinion without argument, which is not the formal resolution of a case or determination of the court.
2494 Etymology dictionary, p. dies non (n.).2
legal Latin phrase meaning "day in which courts are not held" (Sunday, etc.), short for dies non juridicus "not a court day."
2495 Etymology dictionary, p. digest (n.).2
… (literary, legal, scientific or historical) arranged under different heads" is from 1550s.
2496 Etymology dictionary, p. diligence (n.).3
… effort." Legal sense "attention and care due from a person in a given situation" is from 1620s. From the secondary French sense comes the old useage of diligence …
2497 Etymology dictionary, p. disabled (adj.).2
"incapacitated," 1630s, past-participle adjective from disable. Earlier it meant "legally disqualified" (mid-15c.).
2498 Etymology dictionary, p. disbar (v.).2
"deprive of the privileges of a barrister, expel from the bar," 1630s; see dis- + bar (n.3) in the legal sense. Related: Disbarred; disbarring; disbarment .
2499 Etymology dictionary, p. disclaim (v.).2
… a legal claim," originally in a feudal sense, from Anglo-French disclaimer (c. 1300), Old French desclamer "disclaim, disavow," from des- (see dis- ) + clamer "to claim," from …
2500 Etymology dictionary, p. discovery (n.).2
… the legal sense of "disclosure by a party to an action" (of facts, documents, etc.), attested from 1715.