Black's Law Dictionary: Definitions of the Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern 6th edition by Black, Henry Campbell, Nolan, Joseph R., Nolan-Haley, Jacque (1991) Paperback
For more than a century Black's has been the gold standard for the language of law. Today it is the most widely cited law book in the world. Edited by Bryan A. Garner, the world's leading legal lexicographer, the 9th Edition is the most authoritative, comprehensive law dictionary ever published. It contains more than 45,000 terms and 2,000 more terms than the 8th Edition and 19,000 more than the 7th Edition including click fraud, Code Adam, collaborative law, ecoterrorism, environmental tort, friendly subpoena, happy-slapping, honor crime, secret detention, Schumer box, and super precedent. Includes the date when selected terms were first used in English-language contexts, especially in judicial opinions. Heightened more than 200 lawyers around the country reviewed terms. Definitions of more than 1,000 law-related abbreviations and acronyms. Almost 3,000 quotations drawn from sources over five centurie. Alternate spellings or equivalent expressions for more than 5,300 terms. West Key Numbers.
As someone who appreciates clarity, structure, and the power of language, Black’s Law Dictionary has been one of the most unexpectedly fascinating tools I’ve added to my collection.
I originally picked this up thinking I’d just refer to it here and there, but it’s become much more than just a reference book. It’s like the backbone of legal language. Everything from simple legal terms to complex doctrines is laid out in a way that’s authoritative and sharp. There’s no fluff, no filler. Just facts and definitions that have stood the test of time.
It’s especially valuable if you’re navigating contracts, disputes, or just want to better understand how the legal system talks.
It’s not a casual read, but it is empowering. Having this on hand is like having a legal mentor on your shelf, quiet, but precise.
Highly recommend for anyone serious about sharpening their legal awareness or strengthening their written arguments. It’ll change the way you see words, and how you use them.
This is the standard reference book for law school. There are other legal dictionaries which rival it though and explain other less traditional legal terms.
Black's Law Dictionary, 8th Edition is a helpful reference work for anyone in business or law today. Black's Law Dictionary offers precise and accurate legal definitions.
Black's Law Dictionary, 8th Edition is edited by lexicographer Bryan A. Garner and is distributed by Thomson-West Publishing Company.
Black's Law Dictionary has several editions and is available in many different media formats. Visit Black's website to learn more:
This is actually a review of the Ninth Edition. While this dictionary is comprehensive and very useful, the quality of the typesetting, printing, and binding leave much to be desired for so weighty a tome. I was hoping I'd never have to buy another one of these, but I might have to contact an antiquarian bookseller for a proper version.
I liked that it lists the related sub-topics under words (ex. under eviction, there's actual eviction, constructive eviction, etc. defined). The only drawback is you expect it to be in alphabetical order since it is a dictionary, so sometimes you have to go on a treasure hunt to find the word you need to define.
FWIW, the book photo and publication information listed by GR are not correct. The seventh edition was published in 1999 by West Group. Henry Campbell Black had been dead a looong time before this edition appeared.