Legal dictionary

Available entries: 385 entries
Entries: 385
Sort by:
Title (A-Z)
Filter by
All countries
All cities
All areas of law
All languages
Legal info
All countries
All cities
All areas of law
All languages
Hire a lawyer online
Save time and money. Buy fixed-fee legal services or submit your request and get multiple competitive offers from qualified lawyers.
Looking for something else?
Ask for advice from a lawyer
It’s free and anonymous
No registration needed
Ask a lawyer
Legal dictionary
All countries

Management buyout

A form of acquisition where the company’s existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company from either the parent company or from the private owners, usually supported by venture capital investment and/or bank debt financing.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Marriage of convenience

A marriage arranged or entered into for a (non-romantic) financial, practical or political purpose that benefits one or both spouses, such as to gain nationality; a financial, practical or political arrangement between two people, groups or political parties that would not normally be expected to work together.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Material breach

Significant enough substantial failure in the performance of a contract, as to give the affected party the right to sue for damages as well as release the aggrieved party from its obligations.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Measure of damages

The process of calculating how much money compensation a court should award a party following a breach of contract, personal injury or other monetary claim.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mediation

An attempt to settle a dispute with the help of a neutral third party where all parties are actively involved in the decision-making process. The individual who intervenes in order to help the other parties settle their dispute is called a mediator.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Memorandum of association

Is a document that governs the relationship between the company and the outside. It is basically a statement that the subscribers wish to form a company, have agreed to become members, and in the case of a company which is to have a share capital, to take at least one share each.
Hire a lawyer online
Save time and money. Buy fixed-fee legal services or submit your request and get multiple competitive offers from qualified lawyers.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Memorandum of satisfaction

An official document issued by a lender confirming that a mortgage or other charge has been fully discharged.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mens rea

Latin for ‘a guilty mind’, it is criminal intention or knowledge that an act committed by the perpetrator of a crime is wrong.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Merchantability

Refers to goods being appropriate for the ordinary purpose for which they were made and sold. This is an implied warranty and breach of it would give rise to a claim for compensation.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mergers and acquisitions

A merger is a legal consolidation of two companies into one entity, whilst an acquisition occurs when one company takes over another company and completely establishes itself as the new owner (in which the acquired company still exists as an independent legal entity controlled by the acquirer).
Legal dictionary
All countries

Misdemeanour

A minor or lesser offence which is punished less severely than a serious crime and usually with a monetary fine.
Looking for something else?
Ask for advice from a lawyer
It’s free and anonymous
No registration needed
Ask a lawyer
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mitigation

Evidence introduced at a criminal trial, usually by a defendant, to reduce the seriousness of the alleged crime, or to support the otherwise good character of the defendant, so that the crime may be less harshly punished. Also, mitigating circumstances, are such as do not constitute a justification or excuse for the offence committed, but which, in fairness and mercy, may be considered as extenuating or reducing the degree of moral culpability.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Modus operandi

A Latin phrase meaning the method of operation. Most commonly used in criminal cases, it is sometimes referred to by its initials, M.O. The prosecution does not have to prove any modus operandi, but identifying and proving it can help the prosecution to prove that it was the defendant that committed the crime charged. Proving a modus operandi does not require the crimes to be identical, but the prosecution must make a strong and persuasive case of similarity between the crime charged and the other crimes. The prosecution may introduce evidence from prior or subsequent crimes to prove modus operandi only if the other crimes share particular and distinctive features with the crime charged. The features must be uncommon and rarely seen in other crimes, and they must be so distinct that they can be recognised as the handiwork of the same person.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Money laundering

The crime of hiding, disguising or moving money obtained from criminal activities to make it look like the money has been obtained legally.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mortgage

Also referred to as a mortgage loan, is used by purchasers of real property to raise capital for the purchase, or by existing owners to raise funds for any purpose while putting a lien on the property being mortgaged. The loan is secured on the borrower’s property, putting in place a legal mechanism which will enable the lender to take possession and sell the secured property to pay off the loan in the event that the borrower defaults on the loan or otherwise fails to abide by its terms.
Legal dictionary
All countries

Mutatis mutandis

A Latin phrase meaning ‘the necessary changes having been made’ or ‘once the necessary changes have been made’.