Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to legalism or to legalists.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of a person, following the letter of the law.
  • adjective Of a person, tending to resort to the law, as one who sues frequently.
  • adjective Practicing or characterized by legalism.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But to any freedom-loving Ethiopian or any other reasonable human being, the "pardon" is nothing more than the reveries of a self-absorbed megalomaniac garbed in legalistic hokum.

    Alemayehu G. Mariam: Ethiopia: Birtukan Unbound! Alemayehu G. Mariam 2010

  • One wonders if Catholics are particularly drawn to the law, believing as they do in legalistic systems which claim absolute truth.

    Supreme Court may have no Protestant justices for first time in history 2010

  • But to any freedom-loving Ethiopian or any other reasonable human being, the "pardon" is nothing more than the reveries of a self-absorbed megalomaniac garbed in legalistic hokum.

    Alemayehu G. Mariam: Ethiopia: Birtukan Unbound! Alemayehu G. Mariam 2010

  • But to any freedom-loving Ethiopian or any other reasonable human being, the "pardon" is nothing more than the reveries of a self-absorbed megalomaniac garbed in legalistic hokum.

    Alemayehu G. Mariam: Ethiopia: Birtukan Unbound! Alemayehu G. Mariam 2010

  • But to any freedom-loving Ethiopian or any other reasonable human being, the "pardon" is nothing more than the reveries of a self-absorbed megalomaniac garbed in legalistic hokum.

    Alemayehu G. Mariam: Ethiopia: Birtukan Unbound! Alemayehu G. Mariam 2010

  • But the Republicans followed Jefferson's instructions and refused to indulge in legalistic quibbling.

    How Jefferson Counted Himself In 2004

  • But the Republicans followed Jefferson's instructions and refused to indulge in legalistic quibbling.

    How Jefferson Counted Himself In 2004

  • This might have been the only legally mandated procedure, but it could—and would—be characterized as a legalistic maneuver to shop for a selectively favorable outcome.

    No Excuses Robert Shrum 2007

  • This might have been the only legally mandated procedure, but it could—and would—be characterized as a legalistic maneuver to shop for a selectively favorable outcome.

    No Excuses Robert Shrum 2007

  • This might have been the only legally mandated procedure, but it could—and would—be characterized as a legalistic maneuver to shop for a selectively favorable outcome.

    No Excuses Robert Shrum 2007

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