noun
- persons who swear to the innocence or good character of an accused person in a legal proceeding
Usage: historical; legal
Examples
- In medieval courts, compurgators would vouch for the defendant’s reputation.
- The accused gathered twelve compurgators to testify to his honesty.
- Ancient legal systems often relied on compurgators rather than physical evidence.
- The practice of using compurgators declined as modern legal procedures developed.
- Compurgators were expected to know the defendant’s character well.
- The court required at least six compurgators for the oath-helping ceremony.