as in bureaucratese
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of legalese
To be clear, some of the legalese will take time to iron out, because Mercury will go retrograde on February 26.
—
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Though details of the EPA’s proposals are complex and filled with legalese, the agency’s broader goal is pretty simple.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Jason Bateman should start brushing up on his legalese.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
New vehicles all come protected by the manufacturer’s warranty, which is necessary knowledge to absorb even if it is punctuated with legalese.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legalese
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Though details of the EPA’s proposals are complex and filled with legalese, the agency’s broader goal is pretty simple.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Jason Bateman should start brushing up on his legalese.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
New vehicles all come protected by the manufacturer’s warranty, which is necessary knowledge to absorb even if it is punctuated with legalese.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legalese
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalese
Noun
-
Details of new initiatives were bogged down by mind-numbing bureaucratese.—
Sharon Grigsby,
Dallas News,
11 Apr. 2023
-
The most striking aspect of Putin’s failure to accept responsibility for the Kursk disaster was his retreat into bureaucratese.—
Masha Gessen,
The New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2020
Noun
-
The overly earnest character speaks in a hilariously cringey Gen Z self-help psychobabble that continuously grates on Enrique’s nerves.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
-
Sometimes, such content might be portrayed as being valid psychological science versus non-sensical psychobabble.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The prompts must make sense and cannot just be gobbledygook.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Meaningless gobbledygook to an outsider, yet powerful to those who know how to wield those sounds properly.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalese.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalese. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
