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Glite Dictionary
to amerce

to amerce

9.9
To make someone pay a fine ordered by a court
  • verb
  • /əˈmɜrs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : multar
  • They were amerced for failing to appear in court.

Examples

  • The court decided to amerce the company for violating safety regulations.

  • According to the old laws, the sheriff could amerce an offender without a jury.

  • The judge threatened to amerce anyone disrupting the trial with a heavy fine.

  • The court decided to amerce the defendant for his actions.

  • The court decided to amerce the defendant for violating the terms of his community service.

  • In medieval times, lords could amerce their subjects for disobedience to the king's laws.

  • She was amerced for her minor infractions during the town meeting, as ruled by the council.

Synonyms

to punish
vsto amerce
821 1.0

Make someone suffer for doing something wrong

uses a monetary penalty decided by court rather than general suffering
to fine
vsto amerce
107 3.4

Make someone pay money as punishment for breaking a law or rule

is specifically ordered by a court or authority and often historical
to impose a fine
vsto amerce
  • Formal
1 3.8

Officially order someone to pay money as punishment for breaking a rule

is a court-decided financial penalty often used in historical legal contexts

Antonyms

to reward
328 1.3

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

Surface Forms

amerce infinitive
amerced past
amerced past participle
amercing present participle
amerces third person singular

Etymology

Amerce comes from an old phrase made of a- + mercy, meaning 'at the mercy'. A helpful way to remember it is that to be amerced was to be put 'at the mercy' of a court, so the court could punish you by deciding a fine.