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laches

[ lach-iz ]
/ ˈlætʃ ɪz /
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noun (used with a singular verb)Law.
failure to do something at the proper time, especially such delay as will bar a party from bringing a legal proceeding.
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Origin of laches

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English lachesse, from Anglo-French, variant of Middle French laschesse, derivative of Old French lasche “slack” (from Germanic ); see -ice
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use laches in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for laches

laches
/ (ˈlætʃɪz) /

noun
law negligence or unreasonable delay in pursuing a legal remedy

Word Origin for laches

C14 lachesse, via Old French lasche slack, from Latin laxus lax
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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