Robbery, burglary, theft, and larceny are all illegal takings. However, people are robbed (usually by force or threat), places (buildings, ships, or vehicles) are burgled by breaking and entering, and things (personal property or services) are the objects of larceny or theft.
It is not strictly correct that between is used for two things and among for more than two. When exactly two entities are specified, between should always be used: “This contract is entered into between the Seller and the Purchaser.” However, when more than two…
This word can have contradictory meanings and, as such, care should be taken as to its use. 1. As a verb it can mean to penalize and, as a noun, penalty, intended to ensure compliance:“One of the sanctions available to the European Commission for an…
The terms infer and imply are often confused. A writer or speaker implies something, meaning that it is indicated or suggested without being explicitly stated: “When the CEO stated that the company would not rule out paying a dividend to shareholders this year, she implied…
The terms counterpart and counterparty are commonly used in the law but have very different meanings and it is important to distinguish between them. A counterpart is a duplicate or copy of a legal document. If a contract is entered into by two parties, for…
The term security in legal English has two important but very different meanings. A security (plural: securities) is an investment instrument issued by a company, government, or other organization which offers evidence of debt or equity, or to investments such as shares or bonds. “The…
The term public company generally refers to a public limited company, which is a company that is permitted to offer its shares for sale to the general public. This may include offering its shares to the public through a stock exchange. This is to be…
The term disqualified means to be made ineligible, or deprived of legal rights or powers, including by a law or rule. So, for example, a company director may be disqualified from acting as a director for a period of time if he or she is…
In legal English, a deposit is either (1) money placed in a bank account or (2) something given as security or part payment for a cost or debt. “The purchaser was required to pay a deposit of 10% of the price of the property.” The…
In legal English, consent and assent are often used interchangeably. There is a subtle difference though. The term assent connotes a positive and voluntary agreement both as a noun and a verb. “Assent to a proposal of marriage.” The term consent is neutral in connotation…