Ex post facto

adj, adv

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Retroactive. not-comparable

    "One of them added that it was hard lines that there wasn’t any gentleman “such-like as yourself, squire,” to show some sort of appreciation of their efforts in a liquid form; […] The opportunities of acquiring an abnormal thirst had been here limited; a noble use of them had, however, been made, and again I was compelled to deal with the result in an ex post facto manner."

  2. 2
    Retroactive.; Formulated or enacted after some event, and then retroactively applied to it. not-comparable

    "Coupled with the Constitution's proscription of ex post facto laws is a similar prohibition against bills of attainder."

Adjective
  1. 1
    affecting things past wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    By retroactive application of a law formulated or enacted after the deed in question. not-comparable

    "What he did was not a crime when he did it, but he was convicted ex post facto."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Latin ex (“from”) + post (“after”) + facto, ablative of factum (“deed”). In Latin, ex takes the ablative case, while post takes the accusative case. (See Wikipedia for a discussion of the grammatical form and usage of this phrase.)

Etymology 2

From Latin ex (“from”) + post (“after”) + facto, ablative of factum (“deed”). In Latin, ex takes the ablative case, while post takes the accusative case. (See Wikipedia for a discussion of the grammatical form and usage of this phrase.)

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