Law dictionary

A law dictionary (also known as legal dictionary) is a dictionary that is designed and compiled to give information about terms used in the field of law.

Types[edit]

Distinctions are made among various types of law dictionaries.^[1]

Differentiating factors include:

Number of languages covered: a monolingual law dictionary covers one language, a bilingual covers two.
Number of fields covered: a single-field dictionary covers an entire field of law, whereas a sub-field dictionary covers a part of a field of law, e.g. a dictionary of contract law.

Quality[edit]

A good bilingual or multilingual law dictionary needs to take the users' expected languages and professional competences into account. The lexicographers therefore must consider the following aspects: dictionary user research, dictionary typology, structure, and presentation of relevant information. When making a law dictionary, the lexicographers attempt to present the information in such a way that the user is not burdened with excessive lexicographic information costs.^[1]^[2]

Functions[edit]

As pointed out by Sandro Nielsen in 1994, law dictionaries can serve various functions. The traditional law dictionary with definitions of legal terms serves to help users understand the legal texts they read (a communicative function) or to acquire knowledge about legal matters independent of any text (a cognitive function) – such law dictionaries are usually monolingual. Bilingual law dictionaries may also serve a variety of functions. First, they may have entry words in one language and definitions in another language – these dictionaries give help to understand legal texts, usually written in a foreign language, and to acquire knowledge, usually about a foreign legal system. Second, bilingual law dictionaries with entry words in one language and equivalents in another language provide help to translate legal texts, into or from a foreign language, and sometimes also to produce legal texts, usually in a foreign language.^[1]

Formats[edit]

With the advance of technology, the legal dictionary has made its way onto the Internet and smartphones. Law students and litigants can now look up the meaning of legal terms in seconds.^[3]

Legal terminology textbook[edit]

Unlike a law dictionary, which arranges and defines legal words and phrases individually and in alphabetical order, a legal terminology textbook arranges and defines legal words and phrases in groups and by topic. As a result, a student or other person interested in understanding an array of related legal words and phrases may prefer to use a legal terminology textbook instead.^[2]

Selected works[edit]

American

William S. Anderson, ed. Ballentine's law dictionary, with pronunciations, 3rd edn. Orig. by James A. Ballentine. Rochester, N.Y.: Lawyers Co-operative Pub., 1969.
Gerry W. Beyer, Pamela Anne Dallefeld, & Stephanie A. Williams. Modern dictionary for the legal profession, 5th edn. Getzville, N.Y.: William S. Hein & Co., 2021.
Bryan A. Garner, ed. Black's law dictionary, 11th edn. St. Paul, Minn.: West Group, 2019.
Daniel Oran & Mark Tosti. Oran's dictionary of the law, 4th edn. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2008.
Jonathan S. Lynton. Ballentine's legal dictionary and thesaurus. Rochester, N.Y.: Lawyers Co-operative Pub., 1995.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary of law. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 2016.
Robert Sellers Smith & Adele Turgeon Smith. West's tax law dictionary. 2024 edn. St. Paul, Minn.: Thomson West, 2023.
Stephen Michael Sheppard. The Wolters Kluwer Bouvier law dictionary. Desk edn. 2 vols. NY: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, 2012.

Australian

Trischa Mann & Audrey Blunden, eds. Australian law dictionary, 3rd edn. Melbourne: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand, 2017.
P. E. Nygh & Peter Butt, eds. LexisNexis Australian legal dictionary, 2nd edn. Chatswood, N.S.W.: LexisNexis Butterworths, 2016 (1st edn. Butterworth's Australian legal dictionary, 1998).

English

Daniel Greenberg, ed. Jowitt's dictionary of English law, 5th edn. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2015.
Daniel Greenberg, ed. Stroud's judicial dictionary of words and phrases, 9th edn. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2016.
David Hay, ed. Words and phrases legally defined, 5th edn. 4 vols. London: LexisNexis, 2018.

Irish

Brian Hunt. Murdoch and Hunt's dictionary of Irish law: a sourcebook, 6th edn. Originally by Henry J. P. Murdoch. Haywards Heath, West Sussex: Bloomsbury Professional, 2016.

South African

R. D. Claassen & Cornalis Johannes Claassen. Dictionary of legal words and phrases, 2nd edn. 4 vols. Durban: Butterworths, 1997 (reprints + updates LexisNexis South Africa).
V.G. Hiemstra & H.L. Gonin. Drietalige regswoordeboek: Engels-Afrikaans, Latyn-Afrikaans-Engels, Afrikaans-Engels, 3rd edn. Lansdowne: Juta, 1992.
J. Smuts & I.J. Smuts. Woordeboek van regs- en handelsterme: verklarend en vertalend. Cape Town: Nasou Beperk, 1992.

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Sandro Nielsen (1994). The Bilingual LSP Dictionary: Principles and Practice for Legal Language. Gunter Narr Verlag.
^ ^a ^b Sandro Nielsen (2008). "The Effect of Lexicographical Information Costs on Dictionary Making and Use". Lexikos. Vol. 18. pp. 170–189.
^ See, e.g., Glossary of legal terms at the New York Courts website. Accessed March 28, 2013.

External links[edit]

Law dictionary at Curlie
Mary Whisner; Cheryl Nyberg (Oct 4, 2010). "Legal Dictionaries". Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington School of Law.

[B1994-1] Sandro Nielsen (1994). The Bilingual LSP Dictionary: Principles and Practice for Legal Language. Gunter Narr Verlag.

[N2008-2] Sandro Nielsen (2008). "The Effect of Lexicographical Information Costs on Dictionary Making and Use". Lexikos. Vol. 18. pp. 170–189.

[3] See, e.g., Glossary of legal terms at the New York Courts website. Accessed March 28, 2013.

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