# frankpledge

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A form of collective suretyship and punishment under English law among the members of a tithing.
2. Any group so similarly answerable for the conduct of all its members and liable for collective punishment.
3. A decener: a member of a tithing bound in frankpledge.
4. The tithing itself.

## Etymology
From Anglo-Latin franciplegium, a Latinization of Anglo-Norman frauncplege ("free pledge"), a mistranslation of Old English friðborh ("pledge of peace"), which had the corrupted form friborh, which led to the Modern English term friborg, as if it were *freoborh ("free pledge"). See also friborg, which refers to the predecessor of frankpledge.

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