Legal Studies Terminology

noun waste or matter that is discarded or thrown away

verb to indicate that one is not willing to do something or accept something

• The company will refuse to negotiate any further on the terms of the contract.
• I refuse to believe that he actually won the lottery.
• She's just going to refuse to do her chores, like always.
• Sometimes we have to refuse to let negative thoughts take over our minds.

noun a point of view or way of thinking about a particular issue or situation

• From a scientific standpoint, the results of the experiment were inconclusive.
• From my standpoint, I think we should go with the first option.
• Dude, from my standpoint, this movie is a total snooze fest.
• Looking at the issue from a different standpoint can sometimes provide new insights.

noun a belief or theory that a particular country, society, or institution is exceptional and therefore does not need to conform to normal rules or principles

• American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is unique and superior to other nations.
• Some people think American exceptionalism is just a fancy way of saying the US is the best.
• American exceptionalism is like thinking the US is the GOAT of countries.
• In the world of politics, American exceptionalism is a powerful tool used to assert dominance on the global stage.

noun a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

interjection an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption

article a particular item or object, typically one of a specified type

• In certain historical contexts, the belief that 'might is right' has been used to justify acts of aggression and conquest.
• Some people believe in the principle of 'might is right' when it comes to getting their way.
• When it comes to street fights, it's often a case of 'might is right'.
• The corporate world can sometimes feel like a place where 'might is right' and the strongest survive.

adjective relating to prisons or the criminal justice system

• The carceral system in the United States has been heavily criticized for its high rates of incarceration.
• I heard that the carceral system is really tough on inmates.
• Man, the carceral system is no joke, it's like a whole different world in there.
• The walls of the prison felt like a carceral trap, closing in on him with each passing day.