sentence

Definition

The punishment a judge hands down after you've been convicted—hopefully not as severe as the one your mother gave you. The legal consequence of getting caught.

Example Usage

He received a 10-year sentence for the fraud conviction.

Source: Merriam-Webster

Related Terms

Intermediate

vexatious litigant

A person who repeatedly files frivolous or harassing lawsuits, requiring court permission before filing new cases. It's the legal system's restraining order against people who've weaponized the complaint form.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

licence

Legal permission to use, sell, or distribute a product, software, or intellectual property under specific terms and conditions; basically a contract disguised as freedom.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

foregoing

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.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

denial

The legal art of saying 'nope' with professional gravitas. Denial is the formal refusal to acknowledge a claim or an assertion of untruth—what your teenager does when you ask if they ate the last cookie, but with court documents.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

retained

To keep someone on your payroll or in your service, typically by paying them a retainer fee that ensures they'll pick up the phone when you call. A legal and consulting favorite that means "you're basically mine now, but without all the messy commitment of actual employment." Think of it as the corporate equivalent of keeping someone on speed dial, except they're contractually obligated to answer.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

Statute

A law written down by legislators who probably did not read the whole thing before voting on it. Statutes are the rules of society, assuming you can find them, understand them, and afford a lawyer to explain what they actually mean.

⚖️ Legal

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