attainder
noun
attainder is spelled A-T-T-A-I-N-D-E-R: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 78,613th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, attainder means “The state a prisoner entered once a death sentence (usually for treason) had been issued; the state of being stripped of all civil rights” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of attainder is attainders.
How many letters and syllables are in attainder?
| Letters | 9: A-T-T-A-I-N-D-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 7 million words; the 78,613th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is attainder?
Attainder appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 78,613th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce attainder?
- US
Attainder has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-attainder.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of attainder
- attainders plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does attainder mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
rareThe state a prisoner entered once a death sentence (usually for treason) had been issued; the state of being stripped of all civil rights.
- 2
archaicA stain; a state of dishonour or condemnation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Attainder in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense the state of a prisoner after a death sentence:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | muerte civil, deshonra |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does attainder come from?
From Anglo-Norman ataindre ("to reach"), with infinitives used as nouns being frequent in Law French. Doublet of attain and attinge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).