compurgation

com·pur·ga·tion

the former practice of clearing an accused person by the oaths of others testifying to that person's innocence

Origin of compurgation

Late Latin compurgatio, a purifying from Classical Latin compurgatus, past participle of compurgare, to purge, purify from com-, intensive + purgare, to purge

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"Compurgation." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Compurgation.

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Compurgation. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Compurgation

compurgation

noun

An ancient form of trial in which an accused person could call a number of people, usually 12, to swear to their belief in his or her innocence.

Origin of compurgation

Late Latin compūrgātiō compūrgātiōn- complete purification from Latin compūrgātus past participle of compūrgāre to purify completely com- intensive pref. ; see com- . pūrgāre to purify ; see peuə- in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.