To reside during a term.
keep term — Definition and meaning
• To follow the course by attending the necessary lessons.
• To eat a sufficient number of dinners in hall, at the Inns of Court, to make the term count for the purpose of being called to the bar.
The importance of keep term
keep term appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How keep term is applied
In practice, keep term is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.