adjective
- Conditional; not final or absolute; subject to modification or cancellation unless a condition is fulfilled (used in legal contexts, especially of court decrees).
Usage: Legal term; Often used in the phrase 'decree nisi'
adverb
- Unless; except (archaic or formal legal usage).
Usage: Archaic; Primarily found in legal Latin phrases
Examples
- The judge issued a decree nisi, which would become final after six months.
- A decree nisi is conditional and may be set aside if circumstances change.
- The court granted a decree nisi in the divorce case pending the waiting period.
- Unless otherwise stated, the order is nisi and subject to further review.
- The nisi order will become absolute if no objections are filed.