Don`t you like it when dictionaries use the word you want to define in the definition of that word? It`s a wonderful cycle. Nor are they there to define words with such precision that the U.S. Supreme Court should rely on them to determine the meaning of controversial words. But that is exactly what the judiciary does. This naturally worries people like Jesse Sheidlower, an editor of Oxford dictionaries. The lexicographer told the New York Times, « It`s easy to stack the cards by finding a definition that highlights a nuance that you may or may not be interested in. » Judge Stephen Breyer, for example, is a fan of the OED himself. However, it is one of the most promiscuous dictionaries that highlights as many different historical meanings and modern meanings as possible by searching the written corpus for different uses of a word. Its hierarchy of meanings is certainly not supposed to be legally determinative, so the first meaning enumerated can be used by judges across the ocean to enforce treaties or put people in jail. In fact, as the Times points out, since dictionary makers use sources like the Times to determine how words are used (i.e. what they mean), the Supreme Court relies on the Times, probably unknowingly.
And the Times writes about it and closes the loop. Idiopathic. Among other things, the dictionary is intended to help investigators and others understand the reports of doctors, pathologists and forensic anthropologists. The word appears in reports describing conditions and diseases. A forensic anthropologist examining skeletal remains can describe the state of DISH (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis). The investigator wants to know « what caused him » – « idiopathic » means « I don`t know ». If you have any concerns about the material that appears on the Site, please contact oxfordonline@oup.com if you are located in America or onlinesubscriptions@oup.com if you are located outside America. The most intriguing entries are those that contain the word « reasonable. » Courts often struggle with the concept because what is reasonable for one party in a dispute is inappropriate for the other. In the famous case of Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation [1948] 1KB 223 (CA), the court was able to find a definition of the term « inappropriate ». Search for any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner`s Dictionary app. Law is the study of the system of rules that recognizes a particular country or community as regulating the actions of its members.
Oxford Reference offers more than 34,000 concise definitions and detailed encyclopedic entries in this vast discipline. It may seem logical to define a term as « common law, » but legal terms may confuse anyone who does not have a solid understanding of the scope, connotation or full meaning. And these terms are usually defined in a confusing way. Take, for example, the common law definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: « 1: Of, in relation to or on the basis of the common law; 2: in connection with or on the basis of a de facto marriage. The irony is that judges have far more power than lexicographers to define words. The Supreme Court`s decisions are binding on absolutely everyone in America, beyond invoking a dictionary or any other power. (Well, some of the more conservative judges might say that a higher power always binds them.) When they say « consideration » means « coconut rum, » that`s coconut rum. And lexicographers should then include this meaning in their dictionaries. So, judges, listen to the people and your own sense of language; The dictionary editors are looking at you. It should not be the other way around. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and if applicable, the copyright in any artwork appearing on the Site belongs to the copyright holder(s) named in the « Image Details » window for that image. All rights reserved.
No images from the Website may be copied, modified, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed. OUP respects and takes seriously the protection of intellectual property rights. If you believe that the content of this website infringes your copyright and you wish it to be removed, please send us a written notice by email or postal mail that includes: in any case, subject to specific restrictions that appear on certain pages of the website. With the license accepted by the subscriber, you cannot: Merriam-Webster further defines common law as « the whole of law developed in England primarily from judicial decisions, based on customs and precedent, not enshrined in statutes or codes, and forming the basis of the English legal system and the system in all the United States except Louisiana. » Your card will be automatically charged each month until you cancel your subscription. Although we endeavour to ensure that the Website is normally available 24 hours a day, we will not be liable if for any reason the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period of time.