Contract Law Vocabulary

verb to declare invalid or void; to cancel out

• The court decided to annul the contract due to a breach of terms.
• They had to annul their vacation plans because of the sudden change in schedule.
• I heard they're gonna annul their marriage, things have been rocky for a while.
• The storm seemed to annul all traces of civilization as it ravaged the island.

noun The act of annulling, or the state of being annulled; nullification; invalidation.

• The couple sought an annulment of their marriage due to irreconcilable differences.
• They're getting their marriage annulled because they can't stand each other.
• They're ditching the marriage and going for an annulment instead.
• The annulment of the contract symbolized the end of their partnership.

adverb in the present state or condition

preposition used to indicate that something is being described or defined as it actually is, without any attempt to improve it or disguise it

• The contract clearly states that the property is being sold as is, with no warranties or guarantees.
• I'm selling my old car as is, so you'll have to take it with all its flaws.
• I found this vintage jacket at the thrift store and it's pretty cool as is.
• She accepted the situation as is, knowing there was nothing she could do to change it.

noun a violation of a promise or agreement

• The lawsuit was filed for breach of promise after the company failed to deliver on their contractual obligations.
• She was heartbroken when he didn't show up to the date, calling it a breach of promise.
• I can't believe he bailed on me last minute, what a breach of promise!
• Breaking a promise is like breaching a contract between two people.

noun a supplement or addition to a will, which may modify, add to, subtract from, or revoke provisions in the will

• The lawyer drafted a codicil to amend the terms of the will.
• He added a codicil to the will to make sure his daughter received the family heirlooms.
• I had to sneak a codicil into the will to make sure my brother didn't get everything.
• Adding a codicil to the plan helped improve its overall effectiveness.

noun a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts

adjective relating to or characteristic of the unwritten law

• Common law is a legal system where past court decisions set precedent for future cases.
• In common law, judges make decisions based on previous similar cases.
• Common law is like following the unwritten rules of the legal system.
• The foundation of our legal system is built upon the principles of common law.

noun a denial or contradiction of a statement or fact

• The disaffirmation of the contract was based on a breach of terms.
• He made a disaffirmation of his earlier statement during the meeting.
• She dropped a disaffirmation bombshell on her ex-boyfriend.
• The disaffirmation of their friendship left a void in her heart.

adverb in a clear and detailed manner, leaving no room for doubt or misunderstanding

• The terms of the agreement expressly state that all parties must adhere to the confidentiality clause.
• I told him expressly not to touch my phone, but he did it anyway.
• She expressly told him to back off, but he just wouldn't listen.
• His actions spoke more expressly than any words could convey.

noun A clause in a contract that allows for the suspension or termination of the contract due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the parties involved.

• The company invoked force majeure to cancel the contract due to unforeseen circumstances.
• The event was cancelled last minute because of force majeure.
• We can't control the weather, it's like force majeure.
• In life, unexpected challenges can be seen as force majeure events that test our resilience.

noun a person or entity that grants something, typically property or rights, to another party

• The grantor of the trust must ensure that all legal requirements are met.
• The grantor of the scholarship fund is my uncle, he's really generous.
• Yo, the grantor of the loan is hooking me up with a sweet deal.
• Nature can be seen as the ultimate grantor of life and death.

adjective not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final

• Once you sign the contract, it becomes irrevocable.
• I made an irrevocable decision to quit my job and travel the world.
• Dude, once you hit send, that text is irrevocable.
• The impact of her words was irrevocable, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in the room.

noun a promise or agreement made between prisoners and their jailers for the release of the prisoner before the completion of their sentence

• The prisoner was released on parole after serving half of his sentence.
• He's out on parole now, so he has to follow strict rules.
• I heard he got off on a technicality and is now on parole.
• Being on parole feels like walking on thin ice, always afraid of slipping up.

verb to write a date on a document that is later than the current date

adjective having a date that is later than the current date

• The customer requested a postdated check for next month's rent.
• I asked the landlord if I could write a postdated check for the security deposit.
• I'll just postdate the check so it doesn't bounce.
• Her promises were like postdated checks, never to be fulfilled.

verb to supply or make available (something that is needed or wanted)

conjunction used to introduce a clause or sentence that gives the reason for the main clause

• The company provided a detailed report on their financial performance.
• She provided all the necessary information for the project.
• I'll hook you up with the tickets, just make sure you provide the cash.
• His leadership provided a guiding light for the team during the crisis.

noun a condition or stipulation in a document or agreement

• The contract includes a proviso stating that all payments must be made within 30 days.
• Just a heads up, there's a proviso that we have to finish the project by next Friday.
• Hey, remember the proviso about not bringing outside food into the theater.
• In life, there's always a proviso that success comes with hard work and dedication.

noun a legal procedure to recover goods unlawfully taken

verb to recover goods through a legal procedure

• The plaintiff filed a replevin action to recover the wrongfully taken property.
• The owner had to go through a replevin process to get their stuff back.
• They had to go through a whole replevin thing to get their things back.
• In a way, going through replevin felt like reclaiming a piece of their identity.

noun the action of officially canceling or annulling something, such as a law, decree, or agreement

• The revocation of his license was a serious consequence of his reckless driving.
• They're talking about revocation of her membership if she doesn't pay her dues soon.
• If you keep breaking the rules, you're gonna get hit with a revocation, dude.
• The revocation of her trust in him was the final straw in their relationship.

noun Clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, and is used as a part of a sentence.

• The contract included a saving clause to protect the rights of both parties.
• Don't worry, there's a saving clause in the agreement that covers unexpected situations.
• Hey, did you see the saving clause in the deal? It's like a safety net.
• Having a saving clause in your plan is like having a backup plan for emergencies.

noun the act of setting off; a counterbalance or equivalent

verb to counterbalance or compensate for

• The company used the setoff clause in the contract to deduct the amount owed from the final payment.
• I heard they're planning to do a setoff of the expenses against the profits.
• Let's do a setoff of our bills and see how much we have left to spend.
• Her kindness was a setoff against his harsh words, balancing out the negative energy.

noun a part of a contract or other document that is printed in small type and is often overlooked or not read carefully

• It is important to carefully read and understand the small print before signing any legal document.
• Make sure you check out the small print on that contract before agreeing to anything.
• Don't forget to read the small print on that deal, it might have some sneaky stuff in there.
• Sometimes the real meaning lies in the small print, so pay attention to the details.

verb to specify or demand as part of an agreement or arrangement

• The contract stipulates that payment must be made within 30 days of receipt of invoice.
• The rule stipulates that all guests must wear a mask in the building.
• The teacher stipulated that cell phones are not allowed in class.
• The recipe stipulates that the cake must be baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

verb to demand or specify as part of an agreement or arrangement

• The terms of the contract stipulated that payment must be made within 30 days.
• The rules clearly stated that we had to be there by 9pm, no exceptions.
• The boss made it crystal clear that we had to finish the project by Friday.
• The agreement set forth strict guidelines that we had to follow to the letter.

noun a person who signs a document below someone else's signature

verb to sign or execute (a document) below and after another has signed it

• I, the undersign, hereby declare that all information provided is true and accurate.
• The undersign will be attending the meeting tomorrow.
• Yo, the undersign is ready to party tonight!
• As the undersign of the group, I take responsibility for our actions.

noun a Latin phrase meaning 'with necessary changes being made'

adverb used to indicate that a statement should be interpreted with the necessary changes being made

• The terms of the agreement can be applied mutatis mutandis to the new contract.
• We can use the same rules for the game night, mutatis mutandis.
• Let's just copy and paste the email, mutatis mutandis.
• He approached the problem with a mutatis mutandis mindset, adapting as needed.

noun A person or entity that makes an offer or proposal

• The offeror presented a detailed proposal to the potential client.
• The person making the offer gave a really good deal.
• The offeror hooked us up with a sweet offer.
• The offeror was like a magician, waving their wand and making tempting offers appear.

adjective A descriptive word that modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'abovesaid' describes a noun that has been mentioned previously.

• The abovesaid policy has been in effect for over a year now.
• I mentioned the abovesaid document in our previous meeting.
• I totally forgot about the abovesaid agreement, my bad.
• The abovesaid decision opened up a can of worms in the department.

noun a document acknowledging the payment of a debt

• The debtor provided an acquittance to confirm the debt had been paid in full.
• I got my friend to write me an acquittance for the money I owed him.
• I asked my buddy for an acquittance so I could prove I paid him back.
• Receiving her apology was like getting an emotional acquittance for all the hurt she caused.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

conjunction a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

• The concept of actiones bonae fidei is often applied in civil law jurisdictions.
• Lawyers need to be familiar with actiones bonae fidei when dealing with certain types of cases.
• You better understand actiones bonae fidei if you want to win that case.
• In life, it's important to always act with the principles of actiones bonae fidei in mind.

noun A legal term referring to a type of action or lawsuit that is strictly based on the law or legal rights

• The court applied the principle of actio stricti juris to interpret the contract strictly according to its literal meaning.
• The judge stuck to the actio stricti juris rule and ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
• They had no choice but to go with the actio stricti juris route for the legal case.
• In life, sometimes you have to take the actio stricti juris approach and follow the rules exactly as they are written.

verb to stipulate or specify something in addition to what has already been stated or agreed upon

• The contract adstipulates that all payments must be made within 30 days of receipt of invoice.
• I adstipulated that we meet at the coffee shop for our weekly catch-up.
• I adstipulated that we hit up the club for a night out.
• Her actions adstipulate a lack of respect for authority.

noun A person who makes a stipulation or condition in a contract or agreement

• The adstipulator was responsible for ensuring all advertising content met legal requirements.
• The adstipulator had to double-check all the ads to make sure they were okay.
• The adstipulator was the ad police, always checking for any sneaky tactics.
• In the world of advertising, the adstipulator was the gatekeeper of truth and transparency.

adjective referring to something previously mentioned or stated

• The terms and conditions of the aforesaid agreement must be adhered to.
• Make sure you follow the rules mentioned in the aforesaid document.
• Hey, don't forget about the stuff in the aforesaid paper.
• The aforesaid obstacles were overcome with determination and perseverance.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun

• The court allowed the introduction of after-acquired evidence in the trial.
• They brought up some after-acquired evidence during the hearing.
• They dropped some new evidence after the fact.
• Just when we thought we had all the information, the after-acquired evidence changed everything.