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Black’s Law Dictionary is published by Thomson Reuters, the company that also runs Westlaw. The current print edition is the 12th, released on June 5, 2024. Westlaw access depends on your subscription, and the edition shown on Westlaw is named on the title’s own page, so check it before you cite.
This guide is for students, researchers, librarians and administrators who need a legal definition and want to know which edition is current, who edits it, how to reach it on Westlaw and how far to rely on it. Facts below were checked against Thomson Reuters pages on 2026-11-07.
What Black’s Law Dictionary on Westlaw is
Black’s Law Dictionary is a legal dictionary published by Thomson Reuters, the company that also runs Westlaw. Its current print edition is the 12th, released on June 5, 2024, with more than 70,000 definitions, more than 5,000 scholarly and judicial quotations and about 2,500 new terms, according to the publisher’s release announcement. Bryan A. Garner is the chief editor. Westlaw gives subscribers access to it as a secondary source, and the questions below cover which edition you will see, how to reach it and how far to rely on it.
How to search and which edition to use
What is the most current Black’s Law Dictionary?
The 12th edition is the most current one: Thomson Reuters announced its release on June 5, 2024. The announcement describes more than 70,000 definitions, more than 5,000 scholarly and judicial quotations and about 2,500 new terms, with examples such as deepfake, ghost gun, make-my-day statute and shadow docket.
The announcement does not say which edition appears on Westlaw. Open the dictionary’s own page in your Westlaw product and read the edition statement there. Older editions (the 5th, the 2nd and others) circulate in libraries and archives, so a definition found elsewhere may come from an earlier text than the one you need.
Who is the editor of Black’s Law Dictionary?
Bryan A. Garner is the chief editor. According to the same Thomson Reuters announcement he has edited the dictionary since the 7th edition (1999).
How do I find Black’s Law Dictionary on Westlaw?
You need an institutional or paid Westlaw subscription. Menu labels differ between Westlaw Classic, Westlaw Precision and Westlaw Advantage, so follow your own product’s help.
- Sign in through your library or firm; the sign-in is on the Westlaw home page for your product.
- Type black’s law dictionary into the search bar and select the title from the suggestions, as university library guides describe.
- Alternatively, in Westlaw Precision, choose the Content types tab, then Secondary Sources, then Tools & Resources, then Full Secondary Sources Library. The Library has filters for Publication Series, Topic, Jurisdiction and Publication Type, and a search bar where you can type a source name (Thomson Reuters help page, read 2026-11-07).
- Open the title page and note the edition before you search within it.
Black’s Law Dictionary on Westlaw versus the print book
The print 12th edition is a book you buy or borrow. On Westlaw, access comes through a subscription and the edition on the platform is whatever Thomson Reuters has loaded for that title. Files offered under searches such as “Black’s Law Dictionary PDF” or “12th edition PDF free download” are not published by Thomson Reuters; use the print edition or your library’s Westlaw access when you need a text you can cite.
Strengths and limits
- Strength: a publisher-edited reference with a named editor and a stated edition, so a definition can be cited to a specific text.
- Limit, secondary source: it explains legal terms but is not itself law (editorial interpretation); a statute, regulation or court decision that defines a term controls within its scope.
- Limit, edition uncertainty: the Thomson Reuters announcement does not say which edition is loaded on Westlaw, so confirm it on the title’s page in your product before citing.
- Limit, subscription needed: Westlaw access requires an institutional or paid subscription; the print edition and library loans are the alternatives.
Is Black’s Law Dictionary credible?
It is a widely used, publisher-edited reference work, which is why the editor and edition matter. It is also a secondary source: it explains legal terms but is not itself law (editorial interpretation). Where a statute, regulation or court decision defines a term for its own purposes, that text controls within its scope and a dictionary definition is background. Cite the edition and year whenever you quote it, and treat a definition from an unknown edition with caution.
What is the best definition of a law?
No single definition fits every purpose (editorial interpretation). In practice the best definition is the one the governing source supplies: a statute’s definitions section for that statute, a court’s holding for a case, or a dictionary entry only where no controlling text defines the term. Look up the exact term in the edition you are citing and read its cross-references.
Alternatives and related Westlaw resources
| Resource | What it is | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Black’s Law Dictionary (print) | Thomson Reuters publication; 12th edition released June 5, 2024 | Purchase or library loan |
| Wex (Cornell Legal Information Institute) | Community-built legal dictionary and encyclopedia written by Cornell law students and recent graduates under LII supervision; states it is not legal advice | Free |
| Westlaw Full Secondary Sources Library | Browsable list of secondary sources, filterable by series, topic, jurisdiction and publication type | Westlaw subscription |
Source for Wex: Legal Information Institute, Wex, read 2026-11-07. For other secondary legal sources, see our guides to the Restatement of the Law and American Jurisprudence; for citators, see how to Shepardize; for citing cases, see how to cite a legal case in APA.
FAQ
Is there a Black’s Law Dictionary Westlaw PDF?
Thomson Reuters publishes the dictionary in print and makes it available on Westlaw to subscribers. Files offered elsewhere are not from the publisher.
Is Black’s Law Dictionary 12th edition online?
Whether the 12th edition is the one loaded on Westlaw is shown on the title’s page in your product; the release announcement does not state it.
Can I cite Black’s Law Dictionary?
Yes, as a secondary source. Give the edition and year, and prefer controlling statutory or case definitions where they exist.
Sources
- Thomson Reuters: 12th edition of Black’s Law Dictionary release (June 5, 2024), read 2026-11-07
- Thomson Reuters Help: Use the Full Secondary Sources Library (Westlaw Precision), read 2026-11-07
- Cornell LII: Wex, read 2026-11-07
