# Terminology Note — Blank Template

For adding a new term to your working glossary as you encounter it.

```
TERM: [the term]

DOMAIN: [Procedural / Substantive / Evidentiary / Equitable / etc.]

DEFINITION (in your own words):
  [Original explanation. Do not copy from any dictionary. If you don't
  understand it well enough to explain in your own words, that's a signal
  to keep researching before adding it.]

SOURCE OF AUTHORITY:
  [Statute, case, or textbook where this concept is authoritatively
  defined or applied. Cite specifically.]

RELATED TERMS:
  [Terms that are used alongside, contrasted with, or often confused
  with this one.]

DISTINGUISHED FROM:
  [Terms that look similar but mean something different — this is often
  the most useful field.]

TYPICAL USE:
  [Where you would actually encounter or use this term. In pleadings? In
  argument? In statutes? In case reasoning?]

WATCH OUT FOR:
  [Any traps, common misuses, or context-sensitive meanings.]
```

## Discipline

- Add a term when you actually needed it and looked it up
- Do not bulk-load terms from a dictionary — you won't remember them
- Prefer terms that came up in your active work
- Review the glossary every 3-6 months to prune terms you no longer use

The goal is a working glossary that reflects your actual practice, not a
transcription of a dictionary.