When I’m writing a legal document, I often rely on a short set of pretty basic verbs to describe what the court did or said in a particular case, e.g., “The court stated,” “The court held,” “The court determined,” “The court explained,” etc. But I also recognize that other words can have more punch, and variety being the spice of life, I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of words that could be used as substitutes, in appropriate circumstances, as follows:
Abrogated
Accentuated
Accepted
Acknowledged
Acquiesced
Added
Adjudged
Admitted
Admonished
Advised
Advocated
Affirmed
Agreed
Alleged
Allowed
Alluded
Announced
Answered
Appealed
Apprehended
Approved
Articulated
Ascertained
Ascribed
Asked
Asserted
Assigned
Assured
Authorized
Beheld
Believed
Called
Characterized
Chastised
Clarified
Claimed
Commanded
Commented
Communicated
Complained
Conceded
Concluded
Concurred
Confessed
Confirmed
Considered
Constructed
Construed
Contemplated
Contended
Continued
Contributed
Conveyed
Corrected
Corroborated
Counseled
Countered
Criticized
Critiqued
Debunked
Decided
Declared
Decreed
Delineated
Demanded
Demurred
Denoted
Denounced
Denied
Described
Descried
Detailed
Detected
Determined
Dictated
Differentiated
Directed
Disagreed
Disapproved
Disavowed
Discerned
Disclosed
Discussed
Dispatched
Dispelled
Disputed
Distinguished
Divulged
Doubted
Echoed
Elucidated
Emphasized
Encouraged
Enounced
Entreat
Espied
Estimated
Examined
Expected
Explained
Explicated
Expounded
Expressed
Finished
Forecasted
Foresaw
Highlighted
Held
Illustrated
Imparted
Implored
Implied
Indicated
Insisted
Instructed
Interposed
Interpreted
Intimated
Lamented
Maintained
Mandated
Marveled
Mentioned
Met
Mused
Narrated
Noted
Noticed
Notified
Objected
Observed
Offered
Opined
Ordained
Ordered
Overruled
Perceived
Pled
Pledged
Pointed out
Pondered
Posited
Postulated
Praised
Predicted
Prescribed
Presented
Pressed
Probed
Proclaimed
Professed
Proffered
Proposed
Propounded
Proscribed
Provided
Queried
Questioned
Read
Reasoned
Reassured
Rebuked
Rebutted
Recalled
Recited
Reckoned
Recognized
Recounted
Referred
Refused
Regarded
Reiterated
Rejected
Rejoined
Related
Remarked
Reminded
Remonstrated
Replied
Reported
Repudiated
Requested
Resolved
Respond
Restated
Retorted
Revealed
Reversed
Reviewed
Ruled
Saw
Said
Scanned
Scoffed
Set forth
Shared
Solicited
Speaked
Specified
Speculated
Spelled out
Spotted
Stated
Stressed
Submitted
Suggested
Summarized
Surmised
Surveyed
Taught
Theorized
Told
Took note of
Underscored
Understood
Upheld
Urged
Uttered
Vacated
Ventured
Viewed
Volunteered
Vowed
Warned