PRAEMUNIRE

Etymology

Noun

praemunire (plural praemunires)

(legal, now, historical) The offence in English law of bringing suit in or obeying a foreign (especially papal) court or authority, thus challenging the supremacy of the Crown. The offence was created by the Statute of Praemunire 1393 (16 Richard II, chapter 5), and abolished by the Criminal Law Act 1967 (chapter 58).

The writ charging a person with this offence, the writ of praemunire facias.

(in extended use) Any of a number of criminal offences incurring similar penalties to the original offence of praemunire.

(figurative) Crime, offence, wrongdoing.

The penalty for this offence.

(figurative) A difficulty or predicament.

Verb

praemunire (third-person singular simple present praemunires, present participle praemuniring, simple past and past participle praemunired)

(law, historical) To charge with the offence of praemunire; to subject to the penalties of praemunire.

Source: Wiktionary


Præm`u*ni"re, n. Etym: [Corrupted from L. praemonere to forewarn, cite. See Admonish.] (Eng. Law) (a) The offense of introducing foreign authority into England, the penalties for which were originally intended to depress the civil power of the pope in the kingdom. (b) The writ grounded on that offense. Wharton. (c) The penalty ascribed for the offense of præmunire. Wolsey incurred a præmunire, and forfeited his honor, estate, and life. South.

Note: The penalties of præmunire were subsequently applied to many other offenses; but prosecutions upon a præmunire are at this day unheard of in the English courts. Blackstone.

Præm`u*ni"re, v. t.

1. The subject to the penalties of præmunire. [Obs.] T. Ward.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

23 February 2025

BARGAIN

(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de Bolívar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.

coffee icon