paralegal

adjective

para·​le·​gal ˌper-ə-ˈlē-gəl How to pronounce paralegal (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer
paralegal noun

Did you know?

Much of the work in a law office can be done by paralegal assistants, also called legal aides or simply paralegals, who work alongside licensed lawyers. Often a paralegal is trained in a narrow field and then entrusted with it. In this respect, paralegals are similar to paraprofessionals in other fields, such as engineering. Paraprofessionals used to be trained in the office itself, but today it's common to study for a paraprofessional certificate or degree at a community college or university.

Examples of paralegal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The future Duchess of Sussex played paralegal Rachel Zane, while Spencer appeared as Dana Scott, the rival and love interest of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Campus also offers associate degrees in paralegal studies and AWS cloud administration. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024 Debra enrolled in a paralegal program at Tidewater Community College. Longreads, 4 Jan. 2024 For nearly a year after her husband died, Shannon Swanson was able to make things work: The mother of three did her paralegal job remotely, and her mom helped with child care. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024 In the image, Meghan, who played paralegal Rachel Zane, can be seen lying on the floor barefoot with her feet resting on a cabinet. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 First Look: Suits’ Meghan Markle Talks Closet Envy, Beauty Must-Haves, and More USA Network Prior to her induction into the royal family, Meghan Markle had primarily been best known for her work as an actor, particularly for her role as plucky paralegal Rachel Zane in Suits. Tatler, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2023 The future Duchess of Sussex previously said playing plucky paralegal Rachel Zane transformed her approach to clothes. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2023 The Duchess of Sussex, 42, starred in the legal drama from 2011 to 2018 as paralegal Rachel Zane, and one scene pops as prophetic amid Suits’ renaissance on Netflix this summer. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paralegal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paralegal was in 1966

Dictionary Entries Near paralegal

Cite this Entry

“Paralegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralegal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

paralegal

adjective
para·​le·​gal ˌpar-ə-ˈlē-gəl How to pronounce paralegal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer compare clerk sense 2b
paralegal noun

More from Merriam-Webster on paralegal

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!