noun
- the loss of civil rights and property that historically followed conviction for treason or felony
Usage: legal; historical
Examples
- The Constitution prohibits bills of attainder that would punish individuals without trial.
- Attainder meant that the convicted person’s property was forfeited to the crown.
- His family lost their noble titles through attainder after his treason conviction.
- The legal concept of attainder has been largely abolished in modern legal systems.
- Parliament could pass acts of attainder to strip nobles of their rights and estates.
- The framers specifically banned attainder to prevent legislative punishment without due process.