amercement
noun
Forms amercements amerciament
- noun (law) A non-statutory monetary penalty or forfeiture, usually applied at the discretion of a court.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English amercement, from Anglo-Norman amercier + -ment, from Old French à merci. Also from Medieval Latin amerciamentum, from amerciari + -amentum, learned Latinization of Anglo-Norman amerciament, amercement, amerciment. Equivalent to amerce + -ment.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine,in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statue for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [See Affeer.] Blackstone.
Etymology [OF. amerciment.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “amercement”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details