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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

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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 a law that convicts or punishes someone for a crime without a trial, a tactic used fairly frequently in England against the king’s enemies.

From Textbooks Jul. 28, 2021

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 was passed against them in the time of the second George.

From The Pagan's Cup by Hume, Fergus

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