Not satisfied — in plain language
a requirement, condition, or obligation has not been met, fulfilled, or completed as agreed
From a fixed, curated glossary of 7,257 legal terms. Not legal advice. How it's made: plainlanguage.us/trust
Plain language
a requirement, condition, or obligation has not been met, fulfilled, or completed as agreed
- not met
- unfulfilled
- not completed
- failed to meet requirements
What to watch for
- In contract law, 'not satisfied' often refers to a 'condition precedent.' Translators should avoid the everyday meaning of 'not happy' or 'disappointed,' which is irrelevant in a legal context.
- When used in a sheriff's return, it is a technical statement of failure to collect assets, not a statement of the sheriff's personal feelings.
- Non-lawyers may assume 'not satisfied' means the contract is void. It often just means a specific step hasn't happened yet, which may trigger a delay or a right to cancel, but not necessarily an automatic end to the deal.
Distinguishing Contexts. The term has two distinct lives: one in contracts (where it refers to unmet conditions) and one in older court procedure (where it refers to a failed collection of debt). Always look at the document type to determine which meaning applies.
Common Misunderstandings by Non-Lawyers.
- "I am not satisfied with the work" (Everyday usage: I am unhappy with the quality).
- "The condition is not satisfied" (Legal usage: The requirement has not been met).
- Translators must ensure that the "legal" sense is used in contracts, as the everyday sense of "disappointment" can lead to confusion about whether a contract has been breached or simply hasn't been triggered yet.
What to Watch For.
- Discretionary clauses: When a contract says a party is "not satisfied," it often grants that party the power to decide if a condition is met. Check if the contract requires this decision to be "reasonable" or if it is at the party's "sole discretion."
Legal definition
In a legal context, "not satisfied" means that a specific requirement, condition, or obligation has not been met or fulfilled. It is most commonly used in contracts to describe a situation where a necessary step (a "condition precedent") has not occurred by a certain deadline. It can also appear in court documents to indicate that a legal obligation, such as paying a debt, has not been completed.
Meanings by context
civil procedure (sheriff's returns): The sheriff or official was unable to collect the money or property required by the court order.
Examples
Legal: If any Condition Precedent is not satisfied by the CP Deadline, the agreement shall terminate.
Plain: If any of the required steps are not completed by the deadline, the agreement will end.
Legal: That if Bank, in its sole reasonable discretion, is not satisfied with access to the property, it may withdraw its offer.
Plain: If the Bank decides, for a good reason, that the access to the property is not good enough, it can cancel its offer.
Legal: The sheriff returned the writ marked 'not satisfied' after failing to locate the defendant's assets.
Plain: The sheriff reported that they could not collect the money owed because they could not find any property or assets belonging to the defendant.
Where you'll see it
- contract conditions
- closing requirements
- court judgments
- loan agreements
Related terms
- condition precedent
- breach
- performance
- waiver
- default
Word details
- Pronunciation
- not SAT-is-fayd
- Part of speech
- phrase
- Origin
- Old English and Latin — from 'not' (negation) and 'satisfacere' (to do enough, to fulfill)
- Domains
- contract law, civil procedure
- Frequency
- very common
- Formality
- moderate
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