bar sinister
- noun
- Archaic
:
illegitimidad
- For generations, the family was unfairly stigmatized because of the bar sinister.
Examples
-
He was born with a bar sinister, which affected how people treated him throughout his life.
-
He bore the bar sinister bravely, despite the whispers from those around him.
-
Many old novels refer to the bar sinister as a mark of shame.
-
He was born with a bar sinister in his family history.
-
Many people still view having a bar sinister as a stigma.
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In the 19th century, having a bar sinister could lead to social ostracism for illegitimate children.
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She learned that her family history included a bar sinister, which explained some of the family's challenges.
Synonyms
7
7.2
Being born to parents who are not married to each other
1
9.9
Being born to parents who are not married, often causing social or legal problems
The state of being born to parents who are not married
The condition of being born to parents who are not married
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents ('bar' = stripe/band; 'sinister' = left side) describe a heraldic mark (a stripe on the shield's left), so the phrase refers to a technical heraldry feature rather than directly to birth status. The conventional meaning 'illegitimacy' is historical and idiomatic, not predictable from the words alone, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would unlikely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Bar sinister came to mean 'illegitimacy'. One popular story says people used that stripe on a coat of arms to show a child was born to parents who were not married, so the phrase later stood for that 'illegitimacy'.