Find the Right Words with Burton’s Legal Thesaurus

Authored by William C. Burton, Esq. and published by Matthew Bender, Burton’s Legal Thesaurus has served the legal profession for 50 years. The latest edition contains approximately 600,000 synonyms, legal phrases, and associated concepts, making it a valuable resource for legal research, writing, and editing.

The Seventh Edition includes more than 500 newly added full entries. Alongside established legal terminology such as “preponderance of evidence,” researchers will find contemporary concepts including “agentic,” “AI bias,” “cybersmear,” “open source,” “NIL,” and “coffee badging.”

Consider consulting Burton’s Legal Thesaurus when you need to:

• Find a more precise word or phrase for legal writing.
• Identify alternative terminology to strengthen a search.
• Clarify distinctions among related legal concepts.
• Reduce repetition when drafting or editing.
• Explore language associated with emerging legal and business issues.

Coverage is current through August 2026, Release No. 7, with updates available as received from the publisher. Whether refining a search or polishing a final draft, Burton’s can help researchers find the language that best fits the issue.

Questions? Contact your Knowledge & Research Consultant, LexisNexis account team, or law school representative.