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. In marine sense of “unlawful acts causing loss to owner”, 1620s..

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