noun
- a fine or penalty imposed by a court or authority, especially in medieval or historical legal contexts
Usage: archaic; historical
Examples
- The merchant was subject to an amercement for violating the guild regulations.
- In medieval England, an amercement could be imposed by the king's court for various offenses.
- The amercement was collected by the local bailiff on behalf of the crown.
- Nobles sometimes faced heavy amercements if they fell out of favor with the monarch.
- The amount of the amercement depended on the severity of the transgression and the offender's wealth.