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bill of attainder

American  

noun

  1. an act of legislature finding a person guilty of treason or felony without trial.

bill of attainder British  

noun

  1. (formerly) a legislative act finding a person guilty without trial of treason or felony and declaring him attainted See also attainder

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Judge Talwani still saw the law as a bill of attainder.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2025

That is the process the bill of attainder tells us is the appropriate one for investigation, prosecution, and punishment, with all of the attributes of that branch.

From Slate • Oct. 6, 2023

A bill of attainder is an unconstitutional legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial.

From Fox News • Apr. 8, 2019

A bill of attainder is a legislative act that provides for the punishment of a person without a court trial.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

We charge it as a "bill of attainder" of the most odious and oppressive character.

From History of Woman Suffrage, Volume II by Stanton, Elizabeth Cady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.