---
title: "no-foreign-phrases"
description: "Flags decorative foreign phrases with an everyday English equivalent."
sidebar:
  label: "no-foreign-phrases"
  badge: "Hard"
search:
  tags: [rule, static, style]
---

| Property | Value |
| -------- | ----- |
| Kind | Hard rule |
| Engine | `phrase` |
| Tier | `static` |
| Severity | `suggestion` |
| Intent | `style` |
| Scope | `text` |

:::note
This is a style rule. It reports findings and participates in `--fix`, but never moves the [human-likeness score](/docs/concepts/scoring).
:::

## Why

Orwell's fifth rule: never use a foreign phrase if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. This targets ornamental Latin, not legal terms of art (res judicata, prima facie, habeas corpus, mens rea, stare decisis, de novo), which have no plain substitute.

## Examples

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Column>
    **Flagged**

    The clause covers, inter alia, indemnity and, vis-à-vis the guarantor, notice.
  </Column>
  <Column>
    **Better**

    The clause covers indemnity and, for the guarantor, notice, among other things.
  </Column>
</Columns>

## Turning it off

```sh
lawlint --disable no-foreign-phrases draft.md
```

Or durably, in `.lawlint/config.json` — see [Configuration](/docs/reference/configuration).