Defining your terms
Lawyers use words or phrases with very specific legal meanings. Many terms and phrases, such as "right to silence", are used in legal writing without being defined. The assumption is that readers are familiar with the terminology. It is vital that you consult a legal dictionary for any terms you need to understand, define, or clarify.
Studying and working in areas of law involves using legal terminology, concise writing and accurate use of English grammar, and some Latin phrases. Your understanding of legal terms is needed to interpret topics and to compile a list of keywords (search terms) for your research.
Legal Terminology – use legal dictionaries
Australian Law Dictionary
This Dictionary is available in both digital and print formats.
Print versions of the Australian Law dictionary are available to borrow through Deakin Library.
To access the digital version:
- Go to the Australian Law Dictionary via Oxford Reference Online
- Use the alphabetical list to browse definitions; or
- Enter your keywords in the Search within work box
Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary
To access the digital version:
- Go to the Lexis+ Australia database homepage via the Library A-Z databases.
- If Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary is not listed under My Pinned Publications on the Lexis+ Australia homepage, click on Publications and start typing Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary in the Publications search box. Then select the dictionary from the drop down menu.
- On the results screen select the Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary.
- On the Search page, either type in keywords in the Search box and click on Search. Or click on the + signs and browse the alphabetical list.
LexisNexis Concise Australian Legal Dictionary
This Dictionary is available in both digital and print formats.
Print versions of the LexisNexis Concise Australian Legal Dictionary (6th edition, 2020) are available to borrow through Deakin Library.
To access the digital version:
Available as an ebook on the ProQuest ebook platform.
- LexisNexis Concise Australian Legal Dictionary, 6th edition (LexisNexis)
English & American legal dictionaries
Your primary legal dictionaries should be Australian. When terms are not included in Australian legal dictionaries, try an English legal dictionary:
- A Dictionary of Law (10th edition, Oxford University Press, 2022) [via ProQuest]
- Jowitt's dictionary of English Law (5th edition, Sweet & Maxwell, 2019) [print]
A popular American legal dictionary is Black's Law Dictionary (11th edition, Thomson Reuters, 2019) [via Thomson Reuters Westlaw]
Writing and grammar – English language dictionaries
The standard English dictionary used by Australian courts and government departments is the Macquarie Dictionary. Your spelling should therefore adhere to the latest version of the Macquarie Dictionary. Where a word is not in the Macquarie Dictionary, use the Oxford English Dictionary (AGLC4 rule 1.9.1).
Macquarie Dictionary online
Macquarie Dictionary online is constantly updated with words as they are added to the Australian language, covering English as it is used in Australia from the colloquial to the technical. If accessing the dictionary via Credo Reference online, browse the alphabetical list of titles to get to the Macquarie Dictionary.
Oxford English Dictionary online
Oxford English Dictionary online is the full text version of the 20 volume print edition.
Fowler’s Modern English Usage
Grammar should be guided by the latest edition of Fowler's Modern English Usage (AGLC4 rule 1.9.2).