Guides: Secondary Sources Research Guide: Legal Dictionaries (2024)

A legal dictionary contains the definitions of legal terms takenfrom a variety of sources. They are the first place you should look when you do not understand what a legal term means.

The two most commonly used legal dictionaries are Black's Law Dictionaryand Ballentine's Law Dictionary. Print copies of Black's are located on dictionary stands on the fourth and fifth floors.

For online access:

• Black's Law Dictionary (Westlaw)

• Ballentine's Law Dictionary (Lexis)

In addition to providing a general definition of the legal term in question, legal dictionaries may also provide references to applicable primary law and other secondary sources containing more in-depth discussions of the term. For example, the entry for the legal term of art inBlack's Law Dictionary contains a definition and references two Supreme Court opinions.

Although not technically a legal dictionary,Words andPhrasesalso provides definitions oflegal terms. Whereas legal dictionaries provide definitions taken from a variety of sources,Words andPhrases provides definitions taken almost exclusively from court opinions. This resource can be invaluable in helping you determine a specific court's interpretation of a legal term.

For online access:

• Words and Phrases (Westlaw)

Don't forget general dictionaries, whichprovide information about the etymology and use of a term in addition to the definition.The unabridged edition of the Oxford English Dictionaryisconsidered theauthoritative dictionary ofthe English language. Also available inthe Law Library areShorter Oxford English Dictionary and theAmerican Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

For online access:

• Oxford English Dictionary