protestation

protestation

English

Etymology

From Old French protestacion, from Latin prōtestātiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpɹɒtɪsˈteɪʃən/, /ˌpɹəʊtɪsˈteɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

protestation (countable and uncountable, plural protestations)

1. a formal solemn objection or other declaration
   • October 28, 1552, Hugh Latimer, Sermon on the Gospel for St Simon and St Jude's Day

     The protestation of our faith.

   • 1838 (date written)​, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, OCLC 1000392275, page 143:

     Mechanically he retained the hand that trembled in his own—but Isabella needed no protestations—one word from his mouth had been enough, and she sat in silent "measureless content."

2. (law, historical) A declaration in common-law pleading, by which the party interposes an oblique allegation or denial of some fact, protesting that it does or does not exist, and at the same time avoiding a direct affirmation or denial.

Related terms

• protest

Anagrams

• potentiators

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prōtestātiō, prōtestātiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.tɛs.ta.sjɔ̃/

• protestation

  (file)

Noun

protestation f (plural protestations)

1. admission, exclamation, statement
2. protest, objection

Further reading

• “protestation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.