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Webster 1913 Edition


Misprision

Mis-pri′sion

,
Noun.
[LL.
misprisio
, or OF.
mesprison
, prop., a mistaking, but confused with OF.
mespris
contempt, F.
mépris
. See 2d
Misprise
,
Misprize
,
Prison
.]
1.
The act of misprising; misapprehension; misconception; mistake.
[Archaic]
Fuller.
The
misprision
of this passage has aided in fostering the delusive notion.
Hare.
2.
Neglect; undervaluing; contempt.
[Obs.]
Shak.
3.
(Law)
A neglect, negligence, or contempt.
☞ In its larger and older sense it was used to signify “every considerable misdemeanor which has not a certain name given to it in the law.”
Russell.


In a more modern sense it is applied exclusively to two offenses: –
1.
Misprision of treason
, which is omission to notify the authorities of an act of treason by a person cognizant thereof.
Stephen.

2.
Misprision of felony
, which is a concealment of a felony by a person cognizant thereof.
Stephen.

Definition 2024


misprision

misprision

English

Noun

misprision (plural misprisions)

  1. (law) Criminal neglect of duty or wrongful execution of official duties.
  2. Misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
    • 1595, Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III - 2
      What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite
      And laid the love-juice on some true-love's sight:
      Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
      Some true love turn'd and not a false turn'd true.
    • 1984, Martin Amis, Money, Vintage 2005, p. 331:
      they have what men call self-belief and blame you for your misprisions in their dreams, they are conspiracy theorists, benevolent dictators [...].

Usage notes

Negative misprision is misprision by neglect of duty, notably a duty to report information about a felony or treason. Positive misprision is maladministration or the commission of other serious offence falling short of actual felony or treason.

Related terms

  • misprision of a felony
  • misprision of treason

Translations