regulation

Definition

Rules created by executive agencies or regulatory bodies that have the force of law, even though they're not passed by legislatures. It's how unelected bureaucrats get to tell you what you can and can't do, usually in excruciating detail. The federal government has approximately 47 million pages of these, give or take.

Example Usage

The new EPA regulation required all manufacturers to reduce emissions by 30% within five years.

Source: Administrative law terminology

Related Terms

Advanced

preclusion

The legal equivalent of slamming a door in someone's face—it's when you're prevented from doing something, raising an issue, or re-litigating a matter that's already been decided. Courts use preclusion doctrines to prevent parties from getting infinite do-overs on the same legal questions. Once the gavel falls and preclusion kicks in, that argument is dead and buried, no matter how much you'd like to resurrect it.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

infringement

The legal term for stepping on someone else's rights, property, or intellectual turf—whether it's copyright, patents, or just good old-fashioned trespassing. Lawyers love this word because it sounds more sophisticated than "you broke the rules." Usually followed by either a cease-and-desist letter or a hefty lawsuit.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

stipulation

The non-negotiable condition buried in contracts and agreements that you'll regret not reading more carefully six months from now. In legal proceedings, it's when both parties agree on certain facts to avoid arguing about literally everything. These are the 'terms and conditions' that everyone clicks 'accept' on without reading, later wondering how they agreed to binding arbitration in Delaware.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

summary judgment

A judge's decision to resolve a case without going to trial because there are no genuine disputes about the material facts. It's the legal equivalent of calling a game due to rain when one team is up 50-0.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

remittitur

A court's reduction of an excessive jury award, essentially judicial editing when the jury got a little too generous with someone else's money. The plaintiff can accept it or demand a new trial.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

conciliation

The kinder, gentler cousin of litigation where a neutral third party helps feuding parties find common ground before lawyers drain everyone's bank accounts. It's less formal than mediation but more structured than angry phone calls. Companies love it because it's cheaper than court; employees tolerate it because it's faster than the alternative.

⚖️ Legal

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