a person who has studied law and whose job is to give legal advice and speak for people in court
The lawyer explained the contract in simple words so everyone could understand.
After the accident, Maria hired a lawyer to help her get compensation.
✦ Middle English ‘lawier’, from ‘law’ + ‘-yer’, parallel to earlier ‘lawman’.
to use legal arguments or tactics, or to act as a lawyer, often to avoid blame or gain an advantage
The company tried to lawyer its way out of paying the fine.
Stop lawyering about the rules and just play the game!
✦ Verbal use of the noun, first recorded in U.S. English in the mid-19th century.
