pre-legal
|pre-leg-al|
/priːˈliːɡəl/
before legal status
Etymology
'pre-legal' originates from Latin and Modern English elements: the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae-') meaning 'before', combined with 'legal' from Latin 'legalis' meaning 'relating to law'.
'legal' comes from Latin 'legalis' (from 'lex, legis' meaning 'law'), passed into Old French and then Middle English as 'legal'; the prefix 'pre-' comes from Latin 'prae-' and entered English via Old French/Latin-derived formation, producing the compound 'pre-legal' in Modern English.
Initially the components meant 'before' + 'relating to law'; over time the compound came to describe states or actions 'prior to legal status or formal legal proceedings' rather than a literal position 'before the law'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
existing or occurring before something has legal status or recognition; not yet legalized or not yet under the law's effect.
The committee reviewed several pre-legal proposals that would require parliamentary approval before becoming enforceable.
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Adjective 2
relating to actions or stages that occur before formal legal proceedings (e.g., pretrial negotiations or pre-litigation steps).
The lawyers entered a period of pre-legal negotiations to try to settle the dispute without going to court.
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Last updated: 2025/10/03 09:34