Meanings
nounlegalese (uncountable)
- derogatoryinformaluncountableTechnical jargon common in the legal profession; the argot of lawyers.
It is also his considered opinion that a condition precedent to any legislative action is that those best qualified to pronounce on the merits of a popular demand examine it in all its aspects. That is good Menzian legalese, as pompous as parody permits.
1937 October 9, Smith's Weekly, Sydney, page 12, column 1 - derogatoryinformaluncountableWordy, ostentatious talk or writing that resembles legal writing, especially when confusing to laypeople; bureaucratese; officialese.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*lḗǵs?
- Proto-Indo-European*legʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*lḗgʰs?
- Proto-Italic*lēks
- Latinlex
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Latinlēgāli
- Englishlegal
- Englishlegalese
Translations
Bulgarian пра́вен ези́к
- пра́вен ези́к (práven ezík)technical talk of the legal profession
Finnish lakimiesten kapulakieli, kapulakieli
- lakimiesten kapulakielitechnical talk of the legal profession
- kapulakielitechnical talk of the legal profession
- lakikielitechnical talk of the legal profession
French jargon juridique
- jargon juridiquetechnical talk of the legal profession
German Juristenjargon, Juristensprache
- Juristenjargontechnical talk of the legal profession
- Juristensprachetechnical talk of the legal profession
Korean 법률 용어
- 법률 용어 (beomnyul yong'eo)technical talk of the legal profession
Polish żargon prawniczy, żargon prawniczy
- żargon prawniczytechnical talk of the legal profession
- żargon prawniczywording that resembles how lawyers write — see also bureaucratese
Portuguese juridiquês, legalês
- juridiquêstechnical talk of the legal profession
- legalêswording that resembles how lawyers write — see also bureaucratese
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with legalese
pleasediseasefeesJapanesetreeskeysexpertiseoverseaseasePortugueseBelizeprixVietnameseLouisefreezebreezeteespressqueezeLebanesefriesteaseseizeMaltese
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
legalese. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legalese
MLA
“legalese.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legalese. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “legalese,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legalese.
Source: legalese on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.