# barratry

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbæɹətɹi/

## Definitions
1. The act of persistently instigating lawsuits, often groundless ones.
2. The sale or purchase of religious or political positions of power.
3. Unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner.

## Etymology
Early 15th century, in sense “sale of offices”, from Old French baraterie (“deceit, trickery”), from barat (“fraud, deceit, trickery”), of unknown origin, perhaps Celtic. In marine sense of “unlawful acts causing loss to owner”, 1620s.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/barratry