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legalist

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le⋅gal⋅ism

  [lee-guh-liz-uhm]
Use legalist in a Sentence
–noun
1. strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.
2. Theology.
a. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
b. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
3. (initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.
Origin:
1830–40; legal + -ism

Related forms:
le⋅gal⋅ist, noun
le⋅gal⋅is⋅tic, adjective
le⋅gal⋅is⋅ti⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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le·gal·ism   (lē'gə-lĭz'əm)   
n.  

  1. Strict, literal adherence to the law or to a particular code, as of religion or morality.

  2. A legal word, expression, or rule.

le'gal·ist n., le'gal·is'tic adj., le'gal·is'ti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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