LEGAL WORD
Pith and substance
Doctrine · Constitutional law
Pith and substance
- Type: Doctrine
- Area of law: Constitutional law
1 What it means
To decide which legislature can make a law, courts look at its true nature, not incidental effects on other subjects.
2 Use it in a sentence
In pith and substance, the state law dealt with public health, a state subject.
3 Make it stick
Write your own sentence using Pith and substance about a case or topic you are studying this week, then check it against the meaning above.
4 Related words
Legal dictionary: all 366 words · Today's Word of the Day · Weekly quiz
Educational content only, not legal advice.