amercement

9.9

A fine a court orders when the judge chooses the amount

noun
/əˈmɜrsəˌmɛnt/

Archaic

: multa

The judge explained that the amercement would vary based on the severity of the offense.

Examples

No man shall have a larger amercement imposed upon him than his circumstances or personal estate will bear.

Academic text (2004)
The reasonableness of fines in criminal cases has also usually been regulated by the determination of Magna Carta, concerning amercements for misbehavior in matters of civil right...

Academic text (2004)
The court decided to set an amercement for the defendant after considering his financial situation.
After his trial, he learned that the amercement imposed would be a significant financial burden.

Synonyms

sanction

vsamercement

Formal

577 6.1

Official punishment or restriction by an authority

is a money penalty set by a court rather than a broad official restriction

fine

vsamercement

321 2.8

Money paid as a punishment for breaking a law or rule

is decided by a court case by case rather than a fixed legal amount

penalty

vsamercement

160 2.9

A sum of money you must pay for breaking a contract

is a money punishment imposed by a court rather than a contractual remedy

mulct

vsamercement

Archaic

9.9

Money paid as a punishment for breaking a rule or law

is assessed by a court at its discretion rather than set by law

Antonyms

to reward

328 1.3

To give something to someone to thank them for doing something good

Surface Forms

amercement singular

amercements plural

Morphology

amercement = amerce (opaque) = amerce + ment

Although formed by the verb 'amerce' plus the nominalizing suffix '-ment', the verb is archaic/rare and unfamiliar to average learners, so the meaning is not recoverable from its parts.

Etymology

Amercement comes from an old phrase made of a- and mercy, meaning 'at the mercy' of the court. So an amercement is a fine the judge can decide, which is why it means a money penalty set by a court.