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Meaning & use

extrajudicial

adjective·Advancedformallegal

Last updated

UK/ˌekstrədʒuːˈdɪʃl/
US/ˌekstrədʒuˈdɪʃl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparablelegal

    Happening outside a court or without following legal procedure.

    Grammar: Used before a noun: extrajudicial killing.

    The report condemned extrajudicial killings by security forces.

    Extrajudicial punishment bypasses the courts.

    Activists demanded an end to extrajudicial detention.

  2. adjectivenot comparablelegaltechnical

    In law, done or said outside the formal court proceedings, such as an informal statement.

    Grammar: Technical legal use.

    An extrajudicial confession may not be accepted as evidence.

    The lawyer explained extrajudicial settlement rules.

Common combinations

extrajudicial killing
The United Nations condemned the extrajudicial killing.
extrajudicial execution
Extrajudicial execution is a grave violation of rights.
extrajudicial punishment
Mob justice is a form of extrajudicial punishment.
extrajudicial means
They sought to settle by extrajudicial means.
extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention was common under the regime.

Synonyms and how they differ

unlawful
Unlawful means against the law, but extrajudicial says the court process was skipped.
out-of-court
Out-of-court usually describes a legal settlement agreed peacefully and is milder.
summary
Summary (as in summary execution) describes a quick punishment without proper trial.
vigilante
Vigilante describes private citizens taking the law into their own hands.

Opposites

judiciallawful

Word family

judicial adjective
relating to courts and judges
judiciary noun
the system of courts and judges
extrajudicially adverb
outside the legal process
judge noun
a person who decides cases

Commonly confused: extrajudicial or extracurricular? extrajudicial or judicious?

extrajudicial vs extracurricular

Extracurricular refers to school activities outside the curriculum, not legal matters.

extrajudicial vs judicious

Judicious means wise and sensible, not connected with courts.

Practice

Rights groups condemned the ___ killings carried out without any trial.

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