witan
Americannoun
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the members of the national council or witenagemot.
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(used with a singular verb) the witenagemot.
noun
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an assembly of higher ecclesiastics and important laymen, including king's thegns, that met to counsel the king on matters such as judicial problems
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the members of this assembly
Etymology
Origin of witan
1800–10; Modern English < Old English, plural of wita one who knows, councilor; akin to wit 2
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.
A "witan" in Anglo-Saxon times was the gathering of the king's advisers.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2013
Weid, a word meaning to see, with later connotations of wisdom and wit, entered Germanic as witan, and Old English wis to “wisdom.”
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
In 833 Egbert, King of Wessex, held a witan in London.
From The History of London by Sir Walter Besant
Legislation was frequent, but it either took the form of canons put forth by bishops or was part of the work of the witan.
From The English Church in the Middle Ages by William Hunt
I have also steadily, and for some time, counselled peace in our witan.
From The Last of the Vikings by John Bowling
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