WorldAugust 24, 2026

attainder

uh-TAIN-der

Definition

A legislative act that declares a person or group guilty of a crime and imposes punishment without a judicial trial, which is constitutionally prohibited in the U.S.

Etymology

Derived from the Anglo-Norman 'attaindre,' meaning 'to convict' or 'to touch,' which stems from the Latin 'attangere,' meaning 'to reach' or 'to affect.'

In the news

The word is mentioned to illustrate how the author, Melissa Murray, provides clear explanations of complex and archaic constitutional concepts like bills of attainder to help the average reader understand the limits of government power.

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Constitution but Were Afraid to Ask

Read the full article ↗

Los Angeles Review of Books

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