legalism

[ lee-guh-liz-uh m ]
/ ˈli gəˌlɪz əm /

noun

strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
Theology.
  1. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
  2. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
(initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.

Origin of legalism

First recorded in 1830–40; legal + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM legalism

le·gal·ist, noun le·gal·is·tic, adjective le·gal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Example sentences from the Web for legalistic

British Dictionary definitions for legalistic (1 of 2)

legalistic
/ (ˌliːɡəˈlɪstɪk) /

adjective

of, relating to, or exhibiting strict adherence to the law, esp to the letter of the law rather than its spirit

Derived forms of legalistic

legalistically, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for legalistic (2 of 2)

legalism
/ (ˈliːɡəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

strict adherence to the law, esp the stressing of the letter of the law rather than its spirit

Derived forms of legalism

legalist, noun, adjective