Paralegal
/ˌpærəˈliːɡəl/noun
A person trained to perform certain legal tasks under the supervision of a licensed lawyer.
Did you know?The prefix para- comes from Greek for “beside” or “alongside,” not “false,” so paralegal originally describes legal work performed beside—and under the authority of—a lawyer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“To gather, collect, or pick together; a root later associated with reading and law in different branches.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
παρά (para)
“Beside, alongside, or beyond.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
lēx, lēgis
“Law or statute; the source of the legal element.”
Classical Latin
Latin
lēgālis
“Of or pertaining to law.”
19th Century
English
paralegal
“Formed from para- and legal, referring to work performed alongside legal professionals.”
20th Century
Modern English
paralegal
“A trained legal assistant authorized to perform defined legal tasks under a lawyer’s supervision.”