legal principle
3
4.6
- noun
- /ˈliːɡəl ˈprɪnsəpəl/
- Formal
:
principio legal
- The international legal principles articulated in the Biodiversity Convention should form the foundation.
- establishing a legal principle
- international legal principles
Examples
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It's a legal principle that states you can't sue the government without its consent.
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The common law works to make clear what those legal principles are, such that neighbors do not need to bring their disputes to court.
Academic text (2016) -
The Court provided four legal principles upon which this decision was based.
Academic text (1994) -
For me, the legal principle involved is copyright infringement.
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The Executive is violating democratic values, legal principles, and human rights principles.
Academic text (2002) -
There is a long-established legal principle called the separate sovereign doctrine.
Academic text (2004) -
Furthermore, arguments against same-sex marriage usually rest on religious rather than legal principles.
Academic text (2003) -
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity adopts international legal principles that legitimize this economic approach to biodiversity conservation.
Academic text (1997) -
The Court provided four legal principles upon which this decision was based.
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The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity adopts international legal principles that legitimize this economic approach to biodiversity conservation.
Synonyms
22
2.7
An important rule or idea that forms the base for other knowledge
14
4.1
A basic rule that other ideas come from
1
8.2
A rule made by courts to guide their decisions
A basic rule judges use when they make decisions in court
How General
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'legal' (pertaining to law) modifies 'principle' (a foundational rule), so the phrase denotes a rule within the law and is derivable from the parts. This adjective+noun pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
The term legal principle combines legal, meaning about the 'law', and principle, meaning a 'main' or 'first' rule. So it means a basic rule that guides judges when they decide cases and helps shape the law.