Legal Terms Basics – Essential English Vocabulary

Legal English can seem difficult, but with just a few key words, you can start to understand conversations about law and justice. This lesson introduces three important legal terms: contract, appeal, and alibi.

A contract is a legal agreement between two or more people. For example, I signed a contract for my new job. Contracts are common in work, business, and housing situations.

An appeal is when someone asks for a legal decision to be changed. For instance, The lawyer wants to appeal the court’s decision. Appeals are important when people feel a judgment was unfair.

An alibi is proof that a person was somewhere else when a crime happened. For example, She had an alibi—she was at work when it happened. An alibi can protect someone from being blamed unfairly.

These three words are just the beginning of learning legal English. Try practicing them in sentences about work, school, or everyday life. The more you use them, the more natural they will become.

Learning legal vocabulary helps you understand news, movies, and real-life conversations more clearly.