legalist

le·gal·ism

L l

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [lee-guh-liz-uh m]
- /ˈli gəˌlɪz əm/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [lee-guh-liz-uh m]
- /ˈli gəˌlɪz əm/

Definitions of legalist word

noun legalist strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit. 1
noun legalist Theology. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws. 1
noun legalist (initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy. 1
noun legalist One who adheres to legalism. 1

See all 4 definitions of legalist

Information block about the term

Origin of legalist

First appearance:

before 1830

One of the 36% newest English words

First recorded in 1830-40; legal + -ism

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Legalist

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Legalist

legalist popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 73% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

According to our data about 56% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

legalist usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer