Declinatory

//dɪˈklɪnətɹi// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A declination or refusal. historical, obsolete
  2. 2
    Synonym of declinator (“instrument for measuring declination”).
Adjective
  1. 1
    Containing or involving a declination or refusal, as of submission to a charge or sentence. historical, not-comparable, obsolete

    "[…] that the prisoner should first be arraigned, and might either then claim his benefit of clergy, by way of declinatory plea, or after conviction by way of arresting judgment."

Example

More examples

"[…] that the prisoner should first be arraigned, and might either then claim his benefit of clergy, by way of declinatory plea, or after conviction by way of arresting judgment."

Etymology

From Latin declinatorius, from declinare: compare French déclinatoire.

Related phrases

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