foregoing

Definition

Legalese for "the stuff I just mentioned above" or "what came before this point." It's how lawyers avoid repeating themselves while sounding impressively formal. Essentially means "previously stated," but using one word instead of two makes you sound like you went to law school.

Example Usage

Based on the foregoing arguments, the court finds in favor of the plaintiff and orders immediate relief.

Source: Wiktionary via Free Dictionary API

Related Terms

Intermediate

disqualification

The formal process of declaring someone ineligible, unfit, or kicked out of consideration for a position, benefit, or contest. In legal contexts, it's how judges, jurors, or expert witnesses get benched for conflicts of interest or other disqualifying factors. The professional equivalent of 'you can't sit with us,' but with documented reasons and appeals processes.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

arbitrator

The neutral third party who decides the outcome of arbitration proceedings, essentially acting as a private judge. Unlike real judges, arbitrators are often chosen (and paid) by the parties, which raises questions about true neutrality. Their decisions are usually binding and nearly impossible to appeal, making their power both efficient and terrifying.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

parol evidence rule

The principle that once you've got a written contract, you can't bring in outside oral statements to contradict it. It's the law's way of saying 'if it wasn't important enough to write down, it wasn't important enough to enforce.'

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

mitigation

The art of making bad things less bad in legal contexts—reducing damages, softening penalties, or presenting evidence that explains why the defendant deserves leniency. It's what defense attorneys do during sentencing when they can't argue innocence anymore but can at least argue for mercy. Think of it as damage control for people who've already lost the main argument.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

Jurisdiction

The legal question of which court gets to deal with your problem, which usually results in everyone pointing at each other like that Spider-Man meme. Where you get sued matters almost as much as why you get sued.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

nolo contendere

A plea in which the defendant doesn't admit guilt but accepts punishment, Latin for 'I do not wish to contend.' It's the legal equivalent of 'I'm not saying I did it, but I'm not fighting about it either.'

⚖️ Legal

Translate This Term

See “foregoing” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Advanced

constructive discharge

When an employer makes working conditions so intolerable that an employee is forced to resign, legally equivalent to bei...