Legal Dictionary: Plain-English Definitions of Legal Terms

What Does ‘Sustained’ Mean in Court?

When a judge agrees with an objection and rules that the question, answer, or evidence is not allowed. It is the opposite of 'overruled.' You hear it when a lawyer objects to a question or a piece of evidence: if the judge says “sustained,” the objection wins and the jury will not hear the answer; if the judge says “overruled,” the objection loses and the matter proceeds. The two words are simply the judge’s ruling on the objection, not a comment on who is winning the case.

Et Seq., Et Ux., and Other Latin Abbreviations

Legal writing keeps a handful of Latin abbreviations that look cryptic until you know them. Et seq. — abbreviation of the latin 'et sequentes' ('and the following'). it signals that a citation covers a starting section and the sections that follow it. Et ux. — abbreviation of the latin 'et uxor' ('and wife'). an older convention in case names and deeds meaning a named person and their spouse. Et al. — abbreviation of the latin 'et alii' ('and others'). used in a case name or list to show there are additional parties beyond the one named. And inter alia — latin for 'among other things.' lawyers use it to signal that the items mentioned are examples, not a complete list. None of them are magic words; they are just shorthand that has survived in citations and case names.

Estoppel and Equitable Estoppel, Explained

A legal principle that stops a person from asserting something that contradicts what they previously said or did, especially where another party reasonably relied on it. A closely related idea, equitable estoppel, a form of estoppel that prevents a party from going back on their words or conduct when another party reasonably relied on them and would be harmed by the change. The common thread is reliance: the law will not let someone change their story to another person’s detriment after that person reasonably counted on the first version.

Plaintiff, Defendant, and Other Courtroom Roles

Cases are named after the parties, so it helps to know the roles. The plaintiff is the party who starts a civil lawsuit by filing a complaint, claiming that another party caused them harm and asking the court for a remedy. The defendant is the party being sued in a civil case or charged in a criminal case; the defendant responds to the claims or charges brought against them. On appeal the labels shift: the appellant brings the appeal and the appellee defends the decision below. You will also see pro se parties, who represent themselves, and counsel, the lawyers. The full set is in the glossary below.

Legalese vs Plain English: Why Legal Writing Reads That Way

Legal language sounds foreign for real reasons, not just tradition. Some terms are precise words of art whose meaning has been settled by centuries of cases, so lawyers keep them to avoid ambiguity. Others are Latin or old French survivals that stuck. And some dense phrasing is simply habit that plain-language reforms are slowly eroding. Knowing the vocabulary is the fastest way through: once “sustained,” “estoppel,” and “et seq.” stop being mysterious, most filings become readable. To go deeper on how the law is actually made and cited, see what case law is.