legalistic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   excessively concerned with the strict and literal application of laws or rules, often at the expense of their purpose

   The committee rejected a legalistic reading that ignored the policy's humanitarian aim.

2. 2
   adj

   relating to legalism, especially the belief that moral or religious conduct consists mainly in obeying prescribed rules

   The teacher warned that a legalistic faith could reduce ethical judgment to a checklist.

Formed from legalist + -ic, or legal + -istic. Legalist ultimately derives from Latin legalis, 'relating to law,' from lex, 'law.' The usually critical modern sense contrasts adherence to a rule's letter with attention to its spirit.

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