barratry

barratry

English

Etymology

Early 15th century, in sense “sale of offices”, from Old French baraterie (“deceit, trickery”), from barat (“fraud, deceit, trickery”), of unknown origin, perhaps Celtic.[1] In marine sense of “unlawful acts causing loss to owner”, 1620s.[1].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæɹətɹi/

Noun

barratry (countable and uncountable, plural barratries)

1. The act of persistently instigating lawsuits, often groundless ones.
   • 1959, Walt Kelly, Pogo, April 24 comic strip (→ISBN, p. 35):

     [Deacon Mushrat to Pogo:] The Machiavellian barratry of a pettifogging public has maundered into do-nothingism.

2. The sale or purchase of religious or political positions of power.

   Coordinate term: simony

3. (admiralty law) Unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner.

Related terms

• barrator
• barratrous
• barratrously

 

Translations

unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner

Polish: barateria f

See also

• champerty

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “barratry”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.