Legal Term Dictionary

Search our free database of thousands of legal terms. The easiest-to-read, most user-friendly guide to legal terms.This dictionary is from the early 20th century and is not to be construed as legal advice.

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  • ABPATRUUS
    Lat. In the civil law. A great-great-grandfather's brother, (abavi frater.) Inst 3; 6, 6; Dig. 38, 10, 3. Called patruus maximus. Id. 38, 10, 10, 17. Called, by Bracton and Fleta, abpatruus magnus. Bract. fol. 68b; Fleta, lib. 6, c. 2, § 17.
  • ABRIDGE
    To reduce or contract; usually spoken of written language. In copyright law, to abridge means to epitomize; to reduce; to contract. It implies preserving the substance, the essence, of a work in language suited to such a purpose. In making extracts there is no condensation of the author's language, and More...
  • ABRIDGMENT
    An epitome or compendium of another and larger work, wherein the principal ideas of the larger work are summarily contained. Abridgments of the law are brief digests of the law, arranged alphabetically. The oldest are those of Fitzherbert, Brooke, and Rolle; the more modern those of Vinery Comyns, and Bacon. More...
  • ABRIDGMENT OF DAMAGES
    The right of the court to reduce the damages in certain cases. Vide Brooke, tit. "Abridgment"
  • ABROGATE
    To annul, repeal, or destroy; to annul or repeal an order or rule issued by a subordinate authority; to repeal a former law by legislative act, or by usage.
  • ABROGATION
    The annulment of a law by constitutional authority. It stands opposed to rogation; and is distinguished from derogation, which implies the taking away only some part of a law; from subrogation, which denotes the adding a clause to it; from dispensation, which only sets it aside in a particular instance; More...
  • ABSCOND
    To go in a clandestine manner out of the jurisdiction of the courts, or to lie concealed, in order to avoid their process. To hide, conceal, or absent oneself clandestinely, with the intent to avoid legal process. Smith v. Johnson, 43 Neb. 754, 62 N. W. 217; Hoggett v. Emerson, More...
  • ABSCONDING DEBTOR
    One, who; absconds from his creditors. An absconding, debtor is one who lives without the state, or who has intentionally concealed himself from his creditors, or withdrawn himself from the reach of their suits, with intent to frustrate their just demands. Thus, if a person departs from his usual residence,; More...
  • ABSENCE
    The state of being absent, removed, or away from one's domicile, or usual place of residence. Absence is of a fivefold kind: (1) A necessary absence, as in banished or transported persons; this is entirely necessary. (2) Necessary and voluntary, as upon the account of the commonwealth, or in the More...
  • ABSENTE
    Lat. (Abl. of absens.) Being absent. A common term in the old reports. "The three justices, absente North, C. J., were clear of opinion." 2 Mod. 14.
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