Legal dictionaries, of which words and phrases are a category, are reference tools that can help researchers understand legal terms and maxims. These resources can offer information about the technical legal use of each word.
These resources generally do not offer much explanation and cannot be used as a substitute for legal interpretation of a particular term in a factual context.
Legal dictionaries offer brief definitions or translations of established legal terms and maxims, some of which are derived from languages such as Latin and French. Case citations usually accompany each entry to explain its use in context or the origins of the term.
Words and phrases are a category of legal dictionaries that define legal terms in context. Usually each entry will contain several quotations from cases in which that term is considered – along with the case citation.
Because some words and phrases are used in multiple areas of the law with different meanings, each entry is accompanied with a reference to the area of law in which it is used.
Canadian Law Dictionary by 
Black's Law Dictionary 11th ed by 
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A Dictionary of Law, 10th ed by This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new window
Words & phrases judicially defined in Canadian courts and tribunals
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