Holding
← the full American Legal Lexicon
Holding authority
The part of a court's decision that actually settles the legal question — the rule the case stands for.
Technical: The court's determination of a matter of law pivotal to its decision; the ruling that has precedential effect, as distinguished from dicta.
Sources: Cornell LII — Holding
A dictionary entry is reference: it describes how a term is used. It is not itself binding law. Why that matters →
Act on this
Somewhere to act on what you just read — start with our own tools:
Find a lawyer or legal aid → · File a complaint / get help → · Appeals, writs & exhausting remedies → · Search the caselaw & statutes → · Legal doctrines →
Legal information, not legal advice.