legalist

noun

le·​gal·​ist ˈlē-gə-list 

1

: an advocate or adherent of moral legalism

2

: one that views things from a legal standpoint

especially : one that places primary emphasis on legal principles or on the formal structure of governmental institutions

legalistic

ˌlē-gə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

legalistically

ˌlē-gə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of legalist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And then there’s Miles Teller, an actor of some renown who has just proved himself as wily and cunning a legalist as there might be. —Richard Lawson, Vanities, 20 June 2017

And then there’s Miles Teller, an actor of some renown who has just proved himself as wily and cunning a legalist as there might be. —Richard Lawson, Vanities, 20 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 2