Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
attainder

more about attainder

attainder


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  attainder 
  n  :  cancellation  of  civil  rights  [syn:  {civil  death}] 




more about attainder