Et Cetera

Definition

Latin abbreviation 'etc.' meaning 'and other things'—the lawyer's way of saying 'I could go on but I'm running out of billable hours.'

Example Usage

The defendant admits to trespassing, theft, property damage, et cetera, but claims diminished capacity.

Origin

Latin phrase literally meaning 'and the rest'

Fun Fact

Overuse of 'et cetera' in legal documents can actually make a contract ambiguous and unenforceable

Source: Universal Latin legal terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

interrogation

The formal process of asking questions to extract information, typically in law enforcement or intelligence contexts where 'conversation' would be too friendly a term. A structured interview where one party has all the power and the other has the right to remain silent. Distinguished from regular questioning by the presence of bright lights, recording equipment, and mounting legal consequences.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

bail

The money you temporarily give to the court as a promise that you'll show up for trial instead of fleeing to a country with no extradition treaty. It's the legal system's security deposit, except instead of getting your apartment cleaned, you're betting you won't skip town. The bail bondsman's entire business model depends on you keeping your promises, which says something about human nature.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

briefs

Written legal arguments submitted to a court explaining why your side should win, packed with citations, precedents, and enough Latin phrases to make law students cry. Despite the name, they're rarely brief—running dozens or hundreds of pages of dense legal reasoning. Think of them as persuasive essays where the grade determines whether you win or lose actual money and freedom.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

repair

The process or result of fixing something that's broken—whether it's a physical object or, metaphorically, a damaged reputation. In legal contexts, repair often means making restitution or restoring something to its original state.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

remit

A fancy legal word for "send" that makes lawyers feel sophisticated when they talk about transmitting money or referring cases to lower courts. In business contexts, it means to pay what you owe; in legal contexts, it means a higher court is sending your case back down for a do-over. Also refers to someone's scope of responsibility, because apparently one word needed to mean three different things to keep everyone confused.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

Unjust Enrichment

A legal doctrine allowing recovery when someone benefits unfairly at another's expense without legal justification. It's how you get paid back when someone enriches themselves on your dime.

⚖️ Legal

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