onus

Definition

A fancy Latin way of saying "that's your problem now" in legal and professional contexts. The onus is the burden of proof or responsibility that gets passed around like a hot potato in meetings until it lands on someone's desk. Think of it as the corporate version of "not it!"

Example Usage

The onus is on the landlord to prove the tenant violated the lease agreement, not the other way around.

Source: Common legal terminology

Related Terms

Advanced

solicitation

In legal terms, the act of asking, urging, or downright begging someone to commit a crime, which is itself a crime even if they never do it. It's like being arrested for asking your friend to rob a bank, whether they actually rob it or tell you to get lost. Prosecutors love it because they can nail you before anyone actually does anything stupid.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

contracts

Legally binding agreements between parties that courts will actually enforce, assuming they meet technical requirements like consideration and mutual assent. The documents that make business relationships official and lawyers wealthy. Breaking them leads to lawsuits; reading them carefully before signing is something everyone should do but rarely does.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

forum shopping

The practice of filing a lawsuit in the jurisdiction most favorable to one's case, essentially legal venue selection based on strategic advantage. The litigation version of choosing a restaurant because you know the owner.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

lodgement

The formal act of depositing documents, money, or claims with an official body—basically the legal world's version of dropping something in the mailbox, except with more paperwork and consequences. In military contexts, it's a fortified position established in enemy territory, which metaphorically captures how intimidating the process feels to civilians. Australian and British legal systems particularly love this term, while Americans typically just say "filing" like normal humans.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

infringement

The legal term for stepping on someone else's rights, property, or intellectual turf—whether it's copyright, patents, or just good old-fashioned trespassing. Lawyers love this word because it sounds more sophisticated than "you broke the rules." Usually followed by either a cease-and-desist letter or a hefty lawsuit.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

Remedy

What the court gives you to make things right after someone wrongs you, which usually means money because the legal system has not figured out how to order someone to sincerely apologize. The judicial equivalent of putting a band-aid on a broken leg.

⚖️ Legal

Translate This Term

See “onus” 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

Beginner

lmap

leave me alone please...