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Glite Dictionary
letter of mark and reprisal

letter of mark and reprisal

9.9
A government paper that lets a private ship owner capture enemy ships and goods during war
  • noun
  • /ˈlɛtər əv mɑrk ənd rɪˈpraɪzəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : carta de marca y represalia
  • The private ship sailed under a letter of mark and reprisal issued by the crown.

Examples

  • With a letter of mark and reprisal, merchants could act as privateers against foreign ships.

  • The government issued a letter of mark and reprisal to Captain Smith.

  • During wartime, several captains applied for a letter of mark and reprisal to lawfully target enemy vessels.

  • Did the king sign a letter of mark and reprisal?

  • The government issued a letter of mark and reprisal to the privateer, allowing him to capture enemy ships.

  • During the conflict, many sailors received a letter of mark and reprisal, enabling them to legally attack rival vessels.

  • She studied historical documents that included a letter of mark and reprisal granted to her great-great-grandfather.

Synonyms

letters of marque
vsletter of mark and reprisal
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Official permission given by a government for private ship owners to capture enemy ships and goods

is the singular or formal term emphasizing a single official license
letter of marque
vsletter of mark and reprisal
  • Archaic
9.9

Official government permission for a private ship to capture enemy ships and cargo

is broader covering seizure of ships and other foreign property in wartime

Surface Forms

letter of mark and reprisal singular
letters of mark and reprisal plural

Morphology

letter + of + mark + and + reprisal

The literal meanings of 'letter' (a message), 'mark' (a symbol), and 'reprisal' (revenge) do not compose to the specialized legal/nautical meaning 'a government licence to seize enemy vessels'. The phrase is historic/technical (often spelled 'letter of marque and reprisal') and originates from a legal-French term, so a B1 learner who knows the individual words would not reliably infer the idiomatic, institutional sense.

Etymology

Letter of mark and reprisal comes from governments in the past that gave a private person an official letter and a mark, meaning 'permission', to take reprisal, meaning 'a return attack', on enemy ships. So it came to mean an official paper that lets a citizen capture enemy ships and goods during war.