ex parte

adverb or adjective

ex par·​te (ˌ)eks-ˈpär-tē How to pronounce ex parte (audio)
1
: on or from one side or party only
used of legal proceedings
2
: from a one-sided or partisan point of view

Did you know?

Latin has not been over-used in a procedural context ('ex parte' being a rare exception,) wrote a correspondent to the London Times in May 1999. Indeed, ex parte (which literally meant "on behalf [of]" in Medieval Latin) pops up quite often in legal settings. An ex parte proceeding, for example, is one that occurs at the request of and for the benefit of one party, usually without the knowledge and participation of any other party. Even when ex parte steps outside of the courtroom - to be used of an ex parte meeting, interview, chat, conversation, investigation, discussion, or contact, for example - the one-sided sense often has some sort of legal or legislative slant, referring to involvement of just one party or side in a case or dispute.

Examples of ex parte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
An ex parte motion is a legal request presented to the court by one party without the other being present. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 Ten days later, Christina filed an ex parte alleging Josh had made questionable financial moves during the days around their split. Brendan Le, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024 And in July, the trial’s original judge, Ural Glanville, was recused over a June 10 secret, ex parte meeting with prosecutors and a witness. Justin Curto, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024 Josh filed an ex parte to try to block any potential sale, which Christina refuted, PEOPLE previously reported. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ex parte 

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ex parte was in 1672

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near ex parte

Cite this Entry

“Ex parte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ex%20parte. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

ex parte

adverb or adjective
ex par·​te ˈeks-ˈpär-tē, -tā How to pronounce ex parte (audio)
: on behalf of or involving only one party to a legal matter and in the absence of and usually without notice to the other party
an ex parte motion
relief granted ex parte
used in citations to indicate the party seeking judicial relief in a case
Ex Parte Jones, 7 U.S. 2 (1866)
compare in re, inter partes
Etymology

Medieval Latin, on behalf (of)

More from Merriam-Webster on ex parte

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!