praemunire

[ pree-myoo-nahy-ree ]

nounEnglish Law.
  1. a writ charging the offense of resorting to a foreign court or authority, as that of the pope, and thus calling in question the supremacy of the English crown.

  2. the offense.

  1. the penalty of forfeiture, imprisonment, outlawry, etc., incurred.

Origin of praemunire

1
1375–1425; short for Medieval Latin praemūnīre faciās (for Latin praemonēre faciās that you cause (the person specified) to be forewarned), the operative words of the writ; praemūnīre to warn (Latin: protect, literally, fortify); replacing late Middle English premunire facias<Medieval Latin, as above. See prae-, muniment

Words Nearby praemunire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use praemunire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for praemunire

praemunire

/ (ˌpriːmjʊˈnaɪərɪ) /


nounEnglish history
  1. a writ charging with the offence of resorting to a foreign jurisdiction, esp to that of the Pope, in a matter determinable in a royal court

  2. the statute of Richard II defining this offence

Origin of praemunire

1
C14: from the Medieval Latin phrase (in the text of the writ) praemūnīre faciās, literally: that you cause (someone) to be warned in advance, from Latin praemūnīre to fortify or protect in front, from prae in front + mūnīre to fortify; in Medieval Latin the verb was confused with Latin praemonēre to forewarn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012