Meaning & use
laches
Last updated
an unreasonable delay in asserting a legal right or claim that can prevent someone from later pursuing it in court.
See it in a sentence
The court dismissed the lawsuit under the doctrine of laches because the plaintiff waited fifteen years to file.
Defense attorneys argued that laches barred the claim due to the decades-long delay.
A note on using this word
Laches is a legal doctrine, pronounced 'LATCH-iz,' rooted in the principle that the law does not help those who sleep on their rights.
Words with a similar meaning
delaynegligence
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Words with an opposite meaning
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