Search for: legalism
2841 Etymology dictionary, p. senate (n.).2
… , "the legal and administrative body of ancient Rome," from Old French senat or Latin senatus "highest council of the state in ancient Rome," literally "council …
2842 Etymology dictionary, p. sentence (n.).3
… specific legal sense "a verdict, decision in a court." It is recorded from late 14c. as "understanding, wisdom; edifying subject matter," a sense obsolete but frequent …
2843 Etymology dictionary, p. sequester (v.).3
The legal meaning "seize by authority, confiscate" is attested from 1510s. The alternative verb sequestrate is early 15c. (Chauliac), from the Latin past participle sequestratus. Related: Sequestered; sequestering .
2844 Etymology dictionary, p. sergeant (n.).6
… the legal Latin phrase serviens ad legem, "one who serves (the king) in matters of law"). It was also used of certain other officers of the royal household.
2845 Etymology dictionary, p. serve (v.).6
… . The legal sense of "present" (a writ, warrant, etc.), "give legal notice of" is from early 15c. To serve hand and foot "minister to attentively" is by c. 1300.
2846 Etymology dictionary, p. servient (adj.).2
1640s, "subordinate," from Latin servientem "subordinate," present participle of servire "be a servant, be a slave" (see serve (v.)). Compare sergeant. A 17th century word now rare or obsolete unless perhaps in legal phrases.
2847 Etymology dictionary, p. servile (adj.).3
… Church-legal, servile work being forbidden on the Sabbath. The phrase translates Latin opus servilis, itself a literal translation of the Hebrew words.
2848 Etymology dictionary, p. settlement (n.).3
The legal sense of "a settling of arrangements" (of divorce, property transfer, etc.) is from 1670s. The sense of "payment of an account, satisfaction of a claim or …
2849 Etymology dictionary, p. several (adj.).3
… of legal meanings of the word, "belonging or assigned distributively to certain individuals" (mid-15c.), etc. Also used by mid-17c. as "a vague numeral" (OED), in which …
2850 Etymology dictionary, p. severance (n.).2
… modern legal use. Severance pay attested by 1942.
2851 Etymology dictionary, p. sheriff (n.).2
… various legal and administrative duties within a jurisdiction," from late Old English scirgerefa "representative of royal authority in a shire," from scir …
2852 Etymology dictionary, p. signage (n.).2
… in legal language with reference to affixing signatures. Middle English had signance "a sign, signal, indication" (c. 1400).
2853 Etymology dictionary, p. simple (adj.).5
… additional legal stipulations, unlimited," from mid-14c.
2854 Etymology dictionary, p. sine prole.2
legal Latin, "without issue," from sine "without" (see sans ) + prole, ablative of proles "offspring" (see prolific ).
2855 Etymology dictionary, p. sist (v.).2
1640s, a Scottish legal term, "stop, stay or suspend" a proceeding, by or as if by judicial decree, from Latin sistere "to cause to stand" (see assist (v.)).
2856 Etymology dictionary, p. smart money (n.).2
… in legal use, "damages in excess of injury done."
2857 Etymology dictionary, p. solicitor (n.).3
… of legal practitioners in Britain, it is attested from 1570s. Both the fem. forms, solicitress (1630s) and solicitrix (1610s), have been in reference to women who …
2858 Etymology dictionary, p. soon (adv.).3
… the legal date and time.
2859 Etymology dictionary, p. species (n.).4
… and legal language, it acquired the meaning "a special case," especially (as a translation of Greek eidos ) "a class included under a higher class; a kind; a sort; a …
2860 Etymology dictionary, p. special (adj.).6
… sound legal meaning once but now is used generally and imprecisely.