Vocabulary list 8 - Legal Terms

I
n this chapter, you will learn many terms commonly used in the legal profession. Read through the list and
see which words are familiar to you. Where have you seen or heard them before? Look at the prefix, root, and
suffix of each word and see if there are any similarities between these new words and other words you already
know which may serve as useful memory tricks. Once you are comfortable with these words, continue to build
your legal vocabulary by reading articles about courtroom cases and watching the news.
CHAPTER
Vocabulary List 8:
Legal Terms
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Legal terms are important to know, but often seem intimidating. The law
governs every aspect of our lives, so it is important to understand the
legal documents with which we may come into contact. You have
most likely already signed a legal contract if you have a credit card, rent
an apartment, have bought or sold a car, or have car insurance. Legal
documents such as these are meant to protect citizens’ rights, but
because most legal terms are not used in everyday speech, legal doc-
uments can be confusing.
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VOCABULARY LIST 8: LEGAL TERMS
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Choose the word from the Vocabulary List that best fits into the crossword puzzle. You can check your answers
at the end of the chapter following the answers to the questions.
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Vocabulary List 8: Legal Terms
abrogate
adjudicate
appellate
affidavit
bequest
contraband
deposition
exhume
extradite
intestate
ipso facto
larceny
lien
litigious
jurisprudence
malfeasance
perjury
plagiarism

sanction
tort
Down
1 the act of giving or leaving by will
2 having the power to review the
judgment of another court
4 a charge upon real or personal
property for the satisfaction of
some debt
5 to act as a judge
6 testimony taken down in writing
under oath
9 by that very fact or act
10 prohibited by law
13 the voluntary violation of an oath;
false swearing
16 the act of stealing and passing off
the ideas or words of another as
one’s own
19 having made no valid will
20 to approve or authorize
Across
3 wrongdoing or misconduct
especially by a public official
7 to dig up, to unbury
8 the science or philosophy of law
11 a sworn statement in writing made
under oath
12 a wrongful act for which you can
get damages or an injunction

15 to surrender an alleged criminal to
the state or country in which he or
she can be tried
17 theft, purloining
18 contentious, argumentative
21 to abolish

abrogate (a·brə·a¯t)
(verb)
to abolish by authoritative action
During the U.S. Civil War, the North fought the
South and wanted the American government to
slavery.
adjudicate (ə·ju·di·ka¯t)
(verb)
to act as a judge, to settle judicially
“You are not going to this case, I am,” the
judge said to the attorney.
appellate (ə·pe·lət)
(adj.)
having the power to review the judgment of another
court
When a case is appealed, it is tried in an
court.
affidavit (a·fə·da¯·vət)
(noun)
a sworn statement in writing made under oath
He was not asked to testify; instead, the attorney
asked him to sign a written that
described what he knew about the case.

bequest (bi·kwest)
(noun)
the act of bequeathing, the act of leaving someone
something in a will, something that is
bequeathed
When my grandmother died, she gave me her house
as a .
contraband (kan·trə·band)
(noun)
illegal or prohibited exporting or importing of goods
Cuban cigars are in this country; it is
against the law to import them into the United
States.
deposition (de·pə·zi·shən)
(noun)
testimony under oath, taken down in writing
In his , he said that he saw a gun, but
under cross-examination in court, he said that
he didn’t remember seeing a gun.
exhume (i·zum)
(verb)
to remove from a grave; to bring back from neglect
or obscurity
When archeologists excavate ancient tombs, they
frequently the remains of the
people who are buried there.
extradite (ek·strə·d¯t)
(verb)
to surrender an alleged criminal to the state or
country in which he or she can be tried

After ten years of hiding, he was (ed) to
the United States to stand trial for murder.
intestate (in·tes·ta¯t)
(adj.)
one who dies without a will
My grandfather died , so we didn’t know
who in the family should inherit his house.
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VOCABULARY LIST 8: LEGAL TERMS
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