RENEW

7 definitions found across Law Mind sources

RENEWAuthored
The Law Mind • 1238 words
Definition
To renew, in law, means to restore legal force or validity to an instrument, obligation, right, or status that has expired, lapsed, or been extinguished — or to extend an existing one before expiration so that its force continues without interruption. The term carries several distinct legal applications depending on context: 1. Renewal of an instrument (note, lease, bond, license): To give new legal life to a document or obligation, either by extending its term or by executing a new instrument in substitution for the original. A renewed note does not necessarily extinguish the original debt; whether the original obligation survives depends on whether the parties intend substitution (novation) or mere extension. 2. Renewal of a charter or franchise: To revive a corporate charter, license, or franchise that has expired by lapse of time or been forfeited for noncompliance. The renewed charter may carry forward the rights of the original or issue on new terms, depending on the enabling authority. 3. Renewal of a motion or objection: In procedural law, to renew a motion is to re-present it to the court, typically after a denial or after changed circumstances warrant reconsideration. Failure to renew certain motions at required stages — particularly directed verdict motions — can constitute waiver of appellate rights. 4. Renewal of a treaty or covenant: To reaffirm or extend an existing agreement between parties, either by executing a new agreement or by formally continuing the terms of the original beyond its natural expiration. ---
Common Language
Modern common usage (Wiktionary): To make something new again; to restore to freshness or original condition; to replenish a supply; to extend a loan period (as with a library book); to begin again or recommence. Historical common usage (Webster's 1913): To make new again; to restore to freshness, perfection, or vigor; specifically, to substitute a new obligation for an old one of the same nature; to continue in force; also, to begin again. The gap between common and legal meaning is subtle but significant. In ordinary usage, "renew" emphasizes restoration — returning something to an earlier condition. In legal usage, renewal often creates a new legal instrument or status rather than simply restoring the old one. A renewed lease is not the original lease given fresh life; it is typically a new agreement, and questions of priority, enforceability, and term begin from that point. Researchers who read historical documents assuming "renew" means mere continuation may misread what was legally a new transaction. ---
Common Confusion
RENEW vs. EXTEND: An extension continues an existing instrument on its current terms without creating a new obligation. A renewal typically involves the creation of a new instrument, even if identical in substance to the prior one. The distinction matters for statute of limitations purposes, lien priority, and usury analysis — a renewed note may reset the limitations clock, while a mere extension may not. Historical sources use the terms inconsistently; careful reading of the underlying transaction is required. RENEW vs. NOVATION: Novation extinguishes the original obligation and substitutes a new one, releasing original parties. Renewal may or may not accomplish this. Whether a renewed instrument works a novation is a question of intent that courts resolve by examining whether the parties meant to discharge the original debt or merely extend it. The terms overlap in Bouvier and Anderson but should be distinguished in research. ---
Why It Matters in Research
The term "renew" appears across virtually every practice area in the Law Mind corpus, but its legal weight varies enormously depending on document type and era. In administrative law materials, renewal is a term of art tied to licensing cycles, professional certification, and regulatory compliance regimes. The procedural requirements for renewal — notice, deadlines, continuing education, fee payment — are often distinct from initial application requirements, and failure to renew on time can result in lapse of rights that cannot be retroactively restored. See admin_115 for the regulatory framework governing renewal and compliance obligations. In contract and negotiable instruments research, pay close attention to whether a document says "renewed," "extended," or "continued." Pre-twentieth-century commercial practice often used these interchangeably, but courts applying later law drew hard distinctions for statute of limitations and priority purposes. In corporate and franchise materials, charter renewal was a live issue throughout the nineteenth century, when corporate charters were granted for fixed terms by special legislative act. Renewal required affirmative legislative action; expiration without renewal could work a forfeiture of the corporation's property rights. This context is largely absent from modern practice but appears frequently in historical corpus materials and case annotations. In procedural contexts, failing to identify when a motion must be "renewed" to preserve an issue for appeal is a research trap. The requirement to renew a directed verdict motion (now judgment as a matter of law) at the close of all evidence, and again post-trial, is a structural rule with jurisdictional variation. Missing this in secondary source research can produce a misleading picture of appellate rights. Urban renewal as a term of art in property and administrative law is addressed in property_156. Note that "renewal" in that context carries a specific statutory meaning derived from mid-twentieth-century federal housing legislation and should not be read as simple physical restoration. ---
Historical Dictionary Support
Bouvier defines renew as "to make again," citing renewal of a treaty or covenant and renewal of a charter — distinguishing the latter as giving new existence to a charter that has been forfeited or lost validity by lapse of time. The citation to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania authority reflects that charter renewal was an active legal question in state courts during the nineteenth century. Bouvier's framing is consistent with the instrument-based view: renewal creates something legally new, even if practically continuous. Anderson's entry for this term in the provided excerpt is truncated and concerns removal jurisdiction rather than renewal — an apparent indexing anomaly in the source material. Researchers relying on Anderson for this term should verify the full entry independently. Webster's 1913 captures the dual usage accurately: renewal as restoration, and renewal as substitution of a new obligation for an old one of the same nature. The legal dictionaries build on this but sharpen the substitution meaning, which Webster treats as a secondary sense. Neither Bouvier nor Anderson addresses the procedural sense of renewing a motion, which developed into a formal requirement through twentieth-century procedural reform. Historical dictionary sources are therefore incomplete guides to this usage. ---
Jurisdictional Note
Renewal requirements for professional licenses, corporate registrations, and regulatory permits are entirely creatures of statute and vary by jurisdiction. The consequences of failure to renew — lapse, forfeiture, retroactive reinstatement, or grace period rights — are not uniform and must be checked against the applicable state or federal regulatory scheme. Federal administrative materials and state-level licensing codes may reach opposite results on identical facts. ---
Encyclopedia Cross-Reference
admin_115: Continuing Education, Renewal, and Compliance Requirements (The Law Mind Administrative Law & Government Encyclopedia) property_156: Eminent Domain — Blight Designation and Urban Renewal (The Law Mind Property Law Encyclopedia) ---
Related Terms
Extension — Novation — Lease — Charter — License — Forfeiture — Lapse — Directed Verdict (Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law) — Statute of Limitations — Negotiable Instrument — Reinstatement — Continuation
RENEWmain
Anderson's Dictionary of Law • 1890
I This means that when the controversy is between citizens of one or more States on one side, and citizens of other States on the other side, either party may remove the suit without regard to their position as plaintiffs or defendants. For the purpose, the matter in dispute may be ascertained, and, according to the facts, the partics arranged on the opposite sides. If in such arrangement it appears that those on one side, being all citizens of different States from those on the other, desire a removal, the suit may be removed.¹ To bar removal, it must appear that the trial in the State court was actually in progress in the orderly course of proceeding when the application was made. The case must be actually on trial by the court, all parties acting in good faith, before the right is gone. A party may not experiment in the State court, and, meeting unexpected difficulties, stop the proceedings and take his suit to another tribunal.1 That is, a party must make an election before he goes to trial or hearing on the merits.2 The act of 1875 also requires that the petition be filed in the State court at or before the term at which the suit "could be first tried" and before the trial. This refers to the term at which, under the legislation of the State and the rules of practice pursuant thereto, the cause is first triable, that is, subject to be tried on the merits. An application to remove a case, made pending trial, is made "before trial thereof," although there may have been several mistrials.4 The act means that when there is a controversy wholly between citizens of different States, which can be fully determined as between them, one or more on either side actually interested may effect the removal. The right depends upon the case disclosed by the pleading, when the petition is filed. It does not matter that a defendant who is a citizen of the State of a plaintiff may be a proper but not an indispensable party. The removal of a separable controversy operates to transfer the whole suit - which was not the case under the act of 1868.5 Congress has not provided for the removal of a suit in which the controversy is not wholly between citizens of different States, and to the final determination of which an indispensable party on the side seeking the removal is a citizen of the State of one or more of the parties against whom the removal is asked.. changes made by act of March 3, 1887, under COURT, United States Circuit, p. 281. 1 Removal Cases, 100 U. S. 468, 473 (1879), cases, Waite, C. J. Approved, Bank of Mayville v. Claypool, 120 id. 269-70 (1887). Jifkins v. Sweetzer, 102 U. S. 179 (1880), Waite, Chief Justice. McLean v. St. Paul, &c. R. Co., 17 Blatch. 366 (1879), cases, Blatchford, J. Fisk v. Henarie, 32 F. R. 425-27 (1887) cases. • Barney v. Latham, 103 U. S. 205, 212-16 (1880), Harlan, J.; Anderson v. Appleton, 32 F. R. 859 (1887), cases; Weller v. Pace Tobacco Co., ib. 862 (1887), cases. The right, as indicated, being statutory, a party must show that his case is within the statute. The petition becomes part of the record, and must state facts which, with such as already appear, entitle the party to a transfer.¹ By the act of 1875, § 5, if it appears to the circuit court that the suit does not really and substantially involve a controversy within its jurisdiction, the court may remand the cause back, and the order be reviewed by the Supreme Court "on writ of error or appeal, as the case may be." Previously, the order was not such a final judgment or decree as gave jurisdiction for review; but a mandamus issued to compel the circuit court to hear and decide. Congress substituted appeal and writ of error for mandamus. Such remanding order is not a final judgment or decree; it simply fixes the court in which the parties shall litigate. The review by the Supreme Court is not limited by the value in dispute.2 A removal cannot be had upon an affidavit made, under Rev. St., § 639, by the attorney, agent, or other person, for a natural person. See DISPUTE; HEARING. A common meaning is to make again; as, to renew - a treaty, a covenant, an objection or exception. The written declaration "I hereby renew the within note," imports a promise anew to pay the amount of the note, not merely an admission that the old note is unpaid." Phœnix Ins. Co. v. Pechner, 95 U. S. 185 (1877), Waite, C. J. Babbitt v. Clark, 103 U. S. 610-12 (1880), Waite, C. J. See also Fraser v. Jennison, 106 U. S. 194 (1882); King v. Cornell, ib. 395 (1882); Myers v. Swann, 107 id. 546 (1882); Shainwald v. Lewis, 108 id. 158 (1883); St. Paul, &c. R. Co. v. McLean, ib. 212 (1883); Houston, &c. R. Co. v. Shirley, 111 id. 358 (1884), Mansfield, &c. R. Co. v. Swan, ib. 379 (1884); Edrington v. Jefferson, ib. 770 (1884). 3 Duff v. Duff, 31 F. R. 772 (1887), Sawyer, J. F. rendre: L. red-dare, to give back. • [Fleet v. Youngs, 11 Wend. *528 (1833). • Conwell v. Kuykendall, 29 Kan. 710 (1883), Horton, • Blake v. McKim, 103 U. S. 339 (1880), Harlan, J. See Seldon v. Keokuk Packet Co., 9 Biss. 318-19 (1885), C. J.; Haseltine v. Simpson, 61 Wis. 431 (1884). cases, Daggett v. Daggett, 124 Mass. 151 (1878), Morton, J.
RENEWmain
Bouvier's Law Dictionary • 1928
To make again; as, to renew a treaty or a covenant. 124 Mass. 151. To renew a charter is to give new existence to a charter which has been forfeited or has lost validity by lapse of time. Anderson; 21 Pa. 201.
RENEWv.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
To make new again; to restore to freshness, perfection, or vigor; to give new life to; to rejuvenate; to re In such a night Medea gathered the enchanted herbs That did renew old Shak. Specifically, to substitute for (an old obligation or right) a new one of the same nature; to continue in force; to make again; as, to renew a lease, note, or patent. To begin again; to recommence. The last great age . . . renews its finished course. Dryden. To repeat; to go over again. The birds-their notes renew. Milton. To make new spiritually; to regenerate. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom. xii. 2.
RENEWv.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
To become new, or as new; to grow or begin again.
renewverb
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
To make (something) new again; to restore to freshness or original condition. | To replace (something which has broken etc.); to replenish (something which has been exhausted), to keep up a required supply of. | To make new spiritually; to regenerate. | To become new, or as new; to revive. | To begin again; to recommence. | To repeat. | To extend a period of loan, especially a library book that is due to be returned.
renewnoun
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
Synonym of renewal.

Explore the full Law Mind legal research platform.

SubscribeEncyclopediaSign In