privateering
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˌpraɪvɪˈtɪrɪŋ/
- Archaic
:
corsarismo
- I do 17th-century privateering (read pirate to the enemy).
Examples
-
Although commonly called piracy, this activity was more properly known as "privateering," the term for state-sanctioned piracy.
Academic text (2009) -
In the early sixteenth century, Algiers alone was estimated to have a hundred sailing ships manned by thousands of sailors, all engaged in privateering.
Academic text (2009) -
Piracy and privateering became less tolerable to a nation that had much to lose from such attacks.
Academic text (2009) -
To add to his woes, Lyford returned from the privateering expedition to learn of the death of his wife of seventeen years.
Academic text (2007) -
You see, Rally had his finger in the pie of privateering, and Pedro Samienzo de Gamboa was taken captive by Rally's privateers.
-
"I am wondering if this is what Kevin Phillips, author of Wealth and Democracy, would refer to as privateering—the only difference being that the privateering is not the capturing of foreign ships but the capturing of shareholders' dollars in an industry that receives not a small sum of dollars from federal grants.
Academic text (2002) -
During the 18th century, many sailors turned to privateering as a way to earn a living by targeting enemy ships.
-
The government issued licenses to support privateering, encouraging private ships to attack enemy vessels during the war.
-
After declaring war, the nation relied on privateering to expand its naval power without the costs of a full military fleet.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Privateering comes from the word private, meaning 'not public', and it named the practice where privately owned ships were allowed by a government to attack and capture enemy ships with a 'letter of marque'. So privateering is like legal piracy: private ships attacking enemy trade with official permission.