Difficult Word Choices

Difficult Word Choices Professor William K. Sheehy

Due to the size of the English language - the number of words exceeds 800,000 - it is quite easy to confuse the meanings of and misuse so many of the words that sound or appear the same. This is particularly true if English is not your native tongue.

In addition, there are numerous words used by lawyers - legal and otherwise - that must be used precisely, particularly in the legal context where ambiguity and misunderstanding are not welcome.

Below is a list of commonly confused terms used in Legal English.

accede to adhere to an agreement; become party to a contract exceed to go beyond; surpass

accept to receive except to exclude

accord to agree; an agreement according in accordance with

accounting maintaining and auditing financial records and reports bookkeeping recording of transactions

adherence compliance with adhesion (contracts) one-sided agreement

administrator person distributing assets of an estate appointed by a court executor person distributing assets of an estate named in a will

adverse contrary to averse disinclined; unwilling

advise verb

1 advice noun

affect to influence, to change effect to accomplish (verb); a result (noun)

allege declaring something to be true before proven contend state of position

allot to give out a lot many

all ready entirely ready or finished already something has occurred

all right the correct form alright no such spelling

all together forming a group altogether entirely

allude to suggest indirectly elude avoid or escape

allusion indirect mention illusion a deception

alternately in turn; one after the other alternatively on the other hand

amend to add to or modify emend to make corrections

amount the total referring to number number refers to things counted quantity refers to things measured

ascent climb assent agreement

attain accomplish obtain to acquire

benefactor one providing a gift

2 beneficiary one who receives a gift

beside next to something besides in addition to

biannual twice a year, semi-annual biennial every two years

capital the seat of government, money invested in a business capitol a building in which a legislative body meets

casual by chance/informal causal relating to cause

cede to give up secede withdrawal from

censure criticise censor forbid public distribution

cession to give up session a meeting

cite to summon, to quote, to refer sight a view;something seen site a place

collaborate co-operate with corroborate to confirm

complement to complete compliment to praise

condemn pass judgment contemn show contempt

confident to be assured confidant a person in whom one confides

connote suggests denotes means

3 contemporary belonging to the present contemporaneous occurring at the same time

continual recurring continuous ongoing

counsel advisor council an organisation

device noun devise verb

discrete a separate part discreet modest or restrained

disinterested neutral uninterested not interested

disqualify exclude; to render unfit unqualified without qualifications

disperse scatter disburse pay out

economic pertaining to money economical good value for one's money; inexpensive

emerge to rise from; to come into view immerge to plunge into; to immerse

emigration moving from a country immigration moving into a country

eminent famous or respected immanent inherent or intrinsic imminent about to take place

envelop to put a covering about; surround envelope a wrapper

evoke call forth invoke cite as an authority or ask for help

4 explicit detailed implicit in the nature of something

forbear to refrain forebear ancestor

forgo to waive forego to go before

guarantor person liable upon the default of the principal surety person liable on par with the principal

hypothesise forming hypothesis hypothecate pledge

immoral evil amoral without morals

imply to mean or suggest (a speaker implies) infer to conclude or assume (a hearer infers)

incidence rate of occurrence incident event

ingenious inventive; clever ingenuous trusting; frank, naïve

instance a case or example of something instants moments of time

interment burial internment confinement

lay to set down lie to recline

libel printed falsehood slander spoken falsehood

malfeasance wrongful misfeasance incorrect

observation perception

5 observance adherence to

ordinance a law ordnance military supplies

overdo to do too much overdue past due; late

partially to some degree partly in part

personal Individual; private personnel the staff of an organization

persecute oppress prosecute bring criminal charges

practical convenient; sensible, not theoretical practicable capable of being done

precede to go before or in front of proceed to begin

precedent guidance precedence priority

prescribe to order proscribe to forbid

regardless without regard irregardless not a word

stationary not moving stationery writing material

tantamount equivalent to value, meaning, or effect paramount highest in rank

unquestionable undeniable unquestioned that which has not been questioned

waiver to give up a claim or right waver to hesitate