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Law Library at Allard Hall
Legal Dictionaries
Legal dictionaries:
- define legal terms and common words with special legal meanings
- provide definitions of legal maxims and Latin terms
- often include value-added information, such as a case reference or a citation to a relevant piece of legislation
- American and English dictionaries don’t always reflect Canadian usage
Select current titles are listed below. A historical collection can be found at via HeinOnline's Legal Dictionaries 
.
Canada
Barron's Canadian Law Dictionary, 6th ed by Call Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KE183.Y63 2009
Dictionary of Canadian Law, 4th ed by Call Number: Learning Commons & Reference Room (level 2): KE183 .D83 2011
Pocket Dictionary of Canadian Law, 5th ed by Call Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KE183 .D84 2011
United States
Black’s Law Dictionary, 11th ed by Call Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KF156 .B53 2019Publication Date: 2019or online via Westlaw Edge Canada
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of LawCall Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KF156 .M47 2011Publication Date: 2011
United Kingdom
Jowitt’s Dictionary of English Law, 4th edCall Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KD313 .J69 2015
Osborn’s Concise Law Dictionary, 11th edCall Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KD313 .O8 2009
The Law Student's Dictionary, 13th ed by Call Number: Learning Commons (level 2): KD313 .M69 2008Publication Date: 2008
General Dictionaries
Use general dictionaries
- for reliable definitions of common usage terms
- if have exhausted possibilities for finding a legal definition
In addition to using dictionaries for definitions, when appropriate consult:
- legislation (definitions section and text of relevant statutes/regulations)
- relevant Federal or Provincial Interpretation Act
Oxford English DictionaryThe OED is the world's accepted authority on the history and development of the English language. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate DictionaryCall Number: Learning Commons (level 2): PE1628 .M36 1998
