compurgation

/kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən/

//kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən// noun

"compurgation" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“compurgation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.

Corpus desk

Index EN-compurgation · compurgation · English

compurgation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for compurgation
PropertyValue
Headwordcompurgation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “compurgation” in English

compurgationsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

compurgation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for compurgation in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin compurgātiōnem, from compurgāre (“to purify”). The correct English form is compurgation, spelled C-O-M-P-U-R-G-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how compurgation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Between the later middle ages and the early seventeenth century, compurgation appears to have become an increasingly onerous test to pass, perhaps reflecting tightening attitudes to sexual offenders.

Etymology

From Latin compurgātiōnem, from compurgāre (“to purify”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "compurgation"?
"compurgation" is spelled C-O-M-P-U-R-G-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən/.
What does "compurgation" mean?
As a noun, "compurgation" means: Acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.
How do you pronounce "compurgation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compurgation" is /kɒmpɜːˈɡeɪʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "compurgation"?
From Latin compurgātiōnem, from compurgāre (“to purify”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list