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misprision

 - 6 dictionary results

mis⋅pri⋅sion

1  [mis-prizh-uhn]
Use misprision in a Sentence
–noun
1. a neglect or violation of official duty by one in office.
2. failure by one not an accessory to prevent or notify the authorities of treason or felony.
3. a contempt against the government, monarch, or courts, as sedition, lese majesty, or a contempt of court.
4. a mistake; misunderstanding.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < AF, OF mesprision, equiv. to mes- mis- 1 + prision < L prēnsiōn-, var. of prehēnsiōn- (s. of prehēnsiō) prehension

mis⋅pri⋅sion

2  [mis-prizh-uhn]
–noun
contempt or scorn.
Origin:
1580–90; misprise + -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To misprision
mis·pri·sion 1   (mĭs-prĭzh'ən)   
n.  

  1. Maladministration of public office.

  2. Neglect in preventing or reporting a felony or treason by one not an accessory.

  3. An act of sedition against a government or the courts.


[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old French mesprison, from mespris, past participle of mesprendre, to make a mistake : mes-, wrongly; see mis-1 + prendre, to take, seize (from Latin prehendere, prēndere; see ghend- in Indo-European roots).]
mis·pri·sion 2   (mĭs-prĭzh'ən)   
n.  Contempt; disdain.

[mispris(e) (variant of misprize) + -ion.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: mis·pri·sion
Pronunciation: mis-'pri-zh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, error, wrongdoing, from Old French, from mesprendre to make a mistake, from mes- wrongly + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere to seize
1 : neglectful or wrongful performance of an official duty
2 : a clerical error in a legal proceeding that can be corrected in a summary proceeding
3 : the concealment of a treason or felony and failure to report it to the prosecuting authorities by a person who has not committed it <misprision of felony> <misprision of treason>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

misprision

in law, criminal misconduct of various types. Concealment of a serious crime by one who knows of its commission but was not a party to it is misprision. Similarly, the failure of a citizen to attempt to prevent the perpetration of an offense can be characterized as misprision. (See also accomplice; accessory; and abettor.)

Learn more about misprision with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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