A Dictionary of Law, Consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases, and Maxims, and an Exposition of the Principles of Law ... of American and English Jurisprudence

Anderson, William C.
A Dictionary of Law, Consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases, and Maxims, and an Exposition of the Principles of Law: Comprising a Dictionary and Compendium of American and English Jurisprudence. Chicago: T.H. Flood and Company, 1889. viii, 1140 pp. Reprinted 1996 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Hardcover. New. $225.

* A significant early American law dictionary that preceded Black's by two years. Black in fact acknowledged his debt to Anderson in the preface of his first edition, and a comparison of entries reveals many instances of similar if not identical language, though both lexicographers have drawn freely from previous works.

Anderson's Dictionary is heavily referenced, citing countless cases, treatises and other sources. Moreover, many entries such as "citizen" and "law" itself, receive extended treatment. Anderson gives judicially framed definitions whenever possible to illustrate the application of judicial principles. Preferred spellings and the correct pronunciation of often mispronounced words are included, as are Latin and Norman-French terms, and brief biographies of prominent jurists such as Blackstone, Kent, and Story. Anderson's Dictionary is an authoritative legal reference work for all libraries.