ex parte

adjective

Of, relating to, or characteristic of a proceeding where one of the involved parties is not present.

“The judge issued a temporary ex parte injunction.”

OriginLatin ex →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectiveex parte (not comparable)
  1. not comparablelawOf, relating to, or characteristic of a proceeding where one of the involved parties is not present.

    The judge issued a temporary ex parte injunction.

    2 more examples

    She was dismissive of an ex parte application for an order excluding a husband from the matrimonial home.

    2014, Ian McEwan, The Children Act, Penguin Random House (2018), page 54

    The judge on an ex parte basis, granted Mr McGlinchey permission to bring both of his actions against the respondents.

    2023 August 1, “Son of slain republicans brings actions”, in The Irish Times, page 4
  2. not comparableConcerning only one side of a matter; one-sided.

    I wish merely to caution you against the whole tone of L'Etoile's suggestion, by calling your attention to its ex parte character at the outset.

    1843, Edgar Allan Poe, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
adverbex parte (not comparable)
  1. not comparablelawIn the manner of a proceeding where one of the involved parties is not (or sometimes may not be) present.

    Grand juries are conducted ex parte; neither the suspect nor his attorney may attend.

Origin

  1. Latinex
  2. Englishex parte

From Latin ex parte ("from [one] part").

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ex parte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20parte

MLA

“ex parte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20parte. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ex parte,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20parte.

Source: ex parte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.