What does "attainder" mean?

The state a prisoner entered once a death sentence (usually for treason) had been issued; the state of being stripped of all civil rights.

What is a synonym for "attainder"?

Common synonyms include: attainture, civil death.

noun

noun ·3 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The state a prisoner entered once a death sentence (usually for treason) had been issued; the state of being stripped of all civil rights. rare
"Grandpa Piper led thereto by the arm […] and himself thrust into a chair, to support the character of dummy to Henry's prearranged attainder."
2
cancellation of civil rights wordnet
3
A stain; a state of dishonour or condemnation. archaic
"He lived from all attainder of suspects."

"Grandpa Piper led thereto by the arm […] and himself thrust into a chair, to support the character of dummy to Henry's prearranged attainder."

From Anglo-Norman ataindre ("to reach"), with infinitives used as nouns being frequent in Law French. Doublet of attain and attinge.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.