Adjacent Words

Attainder definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ATTA'INDER, n. [L. ad and tingo, to stain; Gr. See Tinge.]
1. Literally a staining, corruption, or rendering impure; a corruption of blood. Hence,
2. The judgment of death, or sentence of a competent tribunal upon a person convicted of treason or felony, which judgment attaints, taints or corrupts his blood, so that he can no longer inherit lands. The consequences of this judgment are, forfeiture of lands, tenements and hereditaments, loss of reputation, and disqualification to be a witness in any court of law. A statute of Parliament attainting a criminal, is called an act of attainder.
Upon the thorough demonstration of which guilt by legal attainder, the feudal covenant is broken.
3. The act of attainting.
An act was made for the attainder of several persons.
Note. by the constitution of the United States, no crime words an attainder.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: cancellation of civil rights [syn: attainder, civil death]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English attaynder, from Anglo-French ateindre conviction, from infinitive of ateindre Date: 15th century 1. extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person upon sentence of death or outlawry usually after a conviction of treason 2. obsolete dishonor

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. hist. the forfeiture of land and civil rights suffered as a consequence of a sentence of death for treason or felony. Phrases and idioms: act (or bill) of attainder an item of legislation inflicting attainder without judicial process. Etymology: ME f. AF, = OF ateindre ATTAIN used as noun: see -ER(6)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Attainder At*tain"der, n. [OF. ataindre, ateindre, to accuse, convict. Attainder is often erroneously referred to F. teindre tie stain. See Attaint, Attain.] 1. The act of attainting, or the state of being attainted; the extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person, consequent upon sentence of death or outlawry; as, an act of attainder. --Abbott. Note: Formerly attainder was the inseparable consequence of a judicial or legislative sentence for treason or felony, and involved the forfeiture of all the real and personal property of the condemned person, and such ``corruption of blood'' that he could neither receive nor transmit by inheritance, nor could he sue or testify in any court, or claim any legal protection or rights. In England attainders are now abolished, and in the United States the Constitution provides that no bill of attainder shall be passed; and no attainder of treason (in consequence of a judicial sentence) shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted. 2. A stain or staining; state of being in dishonor or condemnation. [Obs.] He lived from all attainder of suspect. --Shak. Bill of attainder, a bill brought into, or passed by, a legislative body, condemning a person to death or outlawry, and attainder, without judicial sentence.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Corruption of blood.