TOEFL Legal and Academic Vocabulary - Unit 7

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering legal, judicial, and reasoning terminology from TOEFL Vocabulary Unit 7.

Adjourn

To break off a meeting, legal case, or game with the intention of resuming it later.

Exonerate

To release someone from blame.

Absolve

To set or declare someone free from blame.

Acquit

To free someone from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.

Affidavit

A written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, for use as evidence in court.

Perjury

The crime of telling a lie in court after you have sworn to tell the truth.

Annul

To declare invalid.

Vacate

To annul, to cancel.

Void

To declare that something is not valid.

Juvenile delinquency

The habitual committing of criminal acts or offences by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible.

Adjudicate

To make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or dispute.

To get to the bottom of

To get to the deep root of the causes of something.

An educated guess

A guess that is likely to be correct.

To develop a line of thought

To say more about a case.

To jump to a conclusion

To make up one's mind quickly.

Interpret

To make sense of a fact.

Racketeer

Someone who commits crimes for profit (especially one who obtains money by fraud or extortion).

Libel

A false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person.

Slander

Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation.

Negligence

The fact of not giving enough care or attention to someone or something.

De facto

In fact, or in effect, whether by right or not.

Discharge

To release (a prisoner from custody, etc.), an annulment or acquittal; dismissal, as of a court order.

Moot

Of no legal significance (as having been previously decided); not subject to a court ruling because the controversy has not actually arisen, or has ended.

Conspire

To secretly plan with other people to do something illegal or harmful.

Inculpatory evidence

An evidence that shows, or tends to show, a person's involvement in an act, or evidence that can establish guilt.

Indictment

A formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense.

Litigation

A legal proceeding in a court; a judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights.

Verdict

The findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment.

Collateral

Property that is promised as security for the satisfaction of a debt.

Jurisdiction

The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a certain type of case. It also is used as a synonym for venue, meaning the geographic area over which the court has territorial jurisdiction to decide cases.