FindLaw.com Legal Dictionary - Legal Term of the Day

prostitute

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

prostitute: a person who engages in sexual activity indiscriminately esp. for money compare pimp vt -tut·ed -tut·ing [Latin prostitutus, past participle of prostituere, from pro- before + statuere to cause to stand, place] : to offer as a prostitute

underwriter

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

underwriter: 1 a : a person (as an individual or a company) who underwrites an insurance policy : insurer b : a person who assesses risks to be covered by an insurance policy 2 : a person (as an individual or company) who underwrites a security issue compare issuer NOTE: The Securities Act of 1933 requires dealers, issuers, and underwriters to file registration statements for the securities that they sell.

lemon law

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

lemon law: a statute that grants the purchaser of a car specific remedies (as a refund) if the car has a defect that impairs or significantly affects its use, value, or safety and that cannot be repaired within a specified period

owner financing

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

owner financing: a home purchase where the seller provides all or part of the financing, acting as a lender.

foreperson

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

foreperson: foreman

sufferance

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

sufferance: consent or sanction implied by a lack of interference or failure to enforce a prohibition see also estate at sufferance at tenancy

age

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

age: the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises [the voting is 18] see also majority

prejudgment

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

prejudgment: occurring before the rendering of judgment [a attachment]

rebut

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

rebut: re·but·ted re·but·ting [Anglo-French reboter rebuter to answer a charge, bar from an action, literally, to repulse, rebuff, from Old French reboter, from re- back + boter to push, butt] : to refute, counteract, or disprove (as opposing evidence) by evidence or argument [ damaging testimony] [ a presumption] re·but·ta·ble adj re·but·ta·bly adv

settle

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

settle: set·tled set·tling vt 1 : to resolve conclusively [ a question of law] 2 : to establish or secure permanently [a settled legal principle] 3 : close [ the sale of securities] [ the estate] 4 : to resolve a disagreement about (a court order) [no hearing to consider these objections and to the order had been conducted "Saba v. Gray, 314 N.W.2d 597 (1981)"] 5 a : to fix (a price) by mutual agreement b : to conclude (a lawsuit) by entering into an agreement negotiated by the parties usually out of court c : to close (as an account) by payment ;also : to close by compromise and payment of less than the full amount claimed or due vi 1 : to conclude a lawsuit by entering into an agreement [the plaintiff chose to out of court] 2 : to make a settlement of a transfer of funds 3 : to adjust differences or accounts [settled with his creditors]

defile

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

defile: de·filed de·fil·ing : to dishonor by physical acts (as trampling, dirtying, or mutilating) [defiling the flag] de·file·ment n de·fil·er n

confrontation clause

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

confrontation clause: often cap both Cs : the clause in the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing to defendants in criminal prosecutions the right to be confronted with the witnesses against them esp. for the purpose of conducting cross-examination see also confront

securities act of 1933

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

securities act of 1933: The federal securities act regulating the initial public offering (IPO) of securities. (15 U.S.C. Sec. 77)

retrospective

Thu, 9 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

retrospective: affecting things past : retroactive ;specif : of, relating to, or being a law that takes away or impairs vested rights, creates new duties or obligations, or attaches new disabilities with respect to acts and transactions completed before its enactment ret·ro·spec·tive·ly adv

aggravating circumstance

Wed, 8 May 2013 07:00:00 PDT

aggravating circumstance: a circumstance relating to the commission of an act that increases the degree of liability or culpability [punitive damages are recoverable in a conversion case when the evidence shows legal malice, willfulness, insult, or other aggravating circumstances "Schwertfeger v. Moorehouse, 569 So. 2d 322 (1990)"] ;also : a circumstance (as lack of remorse) relating to an offense or defendant that receives consideration by the court esp. in imposing a death sentence compare mitigating circumstance