Legal dictionaries & encyclopaedias

Key points

Dictionaries:

legal dictionaries define and explain legal terminology
provide statements of legal principle
information is arranged systematically, with case and legislation references
can be searched for by case or legislation references or by subject area
Official Dictionary Rule 1.9.1 AGLC4 page 28 - spelling should comply with the latest edition of the Macquarie Dictionary. Where a word is not included in the Macquarie Dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary should be used

Key legal dictionaries:

Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary (Online - Lexis Advance Pacific)
A comprehensive encyclopaedic online dictionary defining legal words and phrases and providing the case or statute law authorities for the definition. Also includes a Table of popular Australian case names; Prime Ministers; Justices of the High Court of Australia; and Table of Abbreviations.
Macquarie Dictionary (Online)
The Macquarie Dictionary Online is updated annually, making it the most up-to-date Australian dictionary and thesaurus available online.

Oxford English dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.

Black's Law Dictionary, Standard Ninth Edition by Bryan A. Garner
ISBN: 9780314199492
Publication Date: 2009-06-25
This ninth edition offers more than 45,000 legal definitions containing an additional 2,000 new terms, nearly 3,000 quotations from legal authorities, and selected terms with their date of origin in American and/or British opinions.
Australian Law Dictionary by Trischa Mann (Editor)
ISBN: 9780195518511
Publication Date: 2014-02-01
The Australian Law Dictionary is a key reference for those who need familiarity with, and knowledge of Australian legal terms most commonly encountered when studying law and in the profession.

Use the activity below to practice finding information in the Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary.