legal cynicism

noun

A perspective under which criminal law and law enforcement are seen as unresponsive or indifferent to public safety, and instead serve primarily to exclude disfavored communities from society.

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Meanings

nounlegal cynicism (uncountable)
  1. uncountablelawA perspective under which criminal law and law enforcement are seen as unresponsive or indifferent to public safety, and instead serve primarily to exclude disfavored communities from society.

    Sampson and Bartusch measure legal cynicism using five variables designed to assess general beliefs about the legitimacy of law and social norms.

    2006, James W. Burfeind, Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach, page 488
Cite this entry
APA

legal cynicism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legal%20cynicism

MLA

“legal cynicism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legal%20cynicism. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “legal cynicism,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legal%20cynicism.

Source: legal cynicism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.