Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Attainder
At-tain′der
,Noun.
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.
☞ 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. Shakespeare
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.
Webster 1828 Edition
Attainder
ATTA'INDER
,Noun.
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.
Definition 2024
attainder
attainder
English
Alternative forms
- attaindre (obsolete, rare)
Noun
attainder (plural attainders)
- (law, rare) The state a prisoner enters once a death sentence (usually for treason) had been issued; the state of being stripped of all civil rights.
- (obsolete) A stain; a state of dishonour or condemnation.
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third, III. v. 32:
- He lived from all attainder of suspects.
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third, III. v. 32:
Related terms
Translations
the state of a prisoner after a death sentence
|