embracery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very RareTechnical/Legal Archaic
Quick answer
What does “embracery” mean?
The crime of attempting to influence a jury or court official corruptly, typically by bribery.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The crime of attempting to influence a jury or court official corruptly, typically by bribery.
Any act of attempting to corruptly influence someone in a position of legal or official judgment; a historical legal term.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally archaic and obsolete in both legal systems, though it may appear more frequently in historical British legal texts.
Connotations
Evokes historical courtroom drama, period legal proceedings, and obsolete statutes.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both; slightly higher in UK historical legal scholarship.
Grammar
How to Use “embracery” in a Sentence
accuse someone of embraceryconvict someone of embraceryThe embracery of [a jury/witness]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “embracery” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The barrister was disbarred for attempting to embracer the jury.
- The old statutes prohibited embracering a witness.
American English
- The attorney was charged with embracering a court clerk.
- The law sought to prevent anyone from embracering officials.
adverb
British English
- [No common adverbial form in use]
American English
- [No common adverbial form in use]
adjective
British English
- [No common adjectival form in use]
American English
- [No common adjectival form in use]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Found only in historical, socio-legal, or etymological studies of law.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Unknown to general public.
Technical
Exclusively in historical legal discourse or in discussing obsolete common law offences.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “embracery”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “embracery”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “embracery”
- Using it to mean 'the act of embracing/accepting something warmly'.
- Using it as a synonym for modern 'bribery' in all contexts.
- Spelling: 'embracery' not 'embracey' or 'embracary'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not under that name. The acts it described (like jury bribery) are serious crimes today, but they fall under modern statutes like 'jury tampering' or 'obstruction of justice'.
No, it is exclusively a technical legal term, and an archaic one at that. Using it outside of historical legal discussion would cause confusion.
'Embracery' is a specific type of bribery historically targeting jurors or court officials to pervert justice. 'Bribery' is the broader, modern term for giving a benefit to corrupt someone's actions.
It fell out of use as legal language modernized and more general terms like 'obstruction of justice' and specific statutes replaced the old common law offences. It is a linguistic relic.
The crime of attempting to influence a jury or court official corruptly, typically by bribery.
Embracery is usually technical/legal archaic in register.
Embracery: in British English it is pronounced /ɪmˈbreɪs(ə)ri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɛmˈbreɪsəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms; term is itself a technical label]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EMBRACE a jury to corrupt it. (Not a loving embrace, but a corrupt one.)
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A PURE VESSEL / CORRUPTION IS A CONTAMINANT (Embracery is the act of contaminating the vessel).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'embracery' be MOST appropriately used today?