Adjacent Words

Champerty definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHAMPERTY, n. A species of maintenance, being a bargain with a plaintiff or defendant, to divide the land or other matter in suit, between them, if they prevail; whereupon the champertor is to carry on the partys suit at his own expense. The purchase of a suit, or of the right of suing.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an unethical agreement between an attorney and client that the attorney would sue and pay the costs of the client's suit in return for a portion of the damages awarded; "soliciting personal injury cases may constitute champerty"

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English champartie, from Anglo-French, from champart share in litigious property, from champ field (from Latin campus) + part portion — more at part Date: 15th century a proceeding by which a person not a party in a suit bargains to aid in or carry on its prosecution or defense in consideration of a share of the matter in suit • champertous adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) Law an illegal agreement in which a person not naturally interested in a lawsuit finances it with a view to sharing the disputed property. Derivatives: champertous adj. Etymology: ME f. AF champartie f. OF champart feudal lord's share of produce, f. L campus field + pars part

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Champerty Cham"per*ty, n. [F. champart field rent, L. campipars; champ (L. campus) field + part (L. pars) share.] 1. Partnership in power; equal share of authority. [Obs.] Beaut['e] ne sleighte, strengthe ne hardyness, Ne may with Venus holde champartye. --Chaucer. 2. (Law) The prosecution or defense of a suit, whether by furnishing money or personal services, by one who has no legitimate concern therein, in consideration of an agreement that he shall receive, in the event of success, a share of the matter in suit; maintenance with the addition of an agreement to divide the thing in suit. See Maintenance. Note: By many authorities champerty is defined as an agreement of this nature. From early times the offence of champerty has been forbidden and punishable.