Meanings
plural barratries
- countableuncountableThe act of persistently instigating lawsuits, often groundless ones.
[Deacon Mushrat to Pogo:] The Machiavellian barratry of a pettifogging public has maundered into do-nothingism.
1959 April 24, Walt Kelly, Pogo, comic strip, →ISBN, page 35 - countableuncountableUnlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchbaraterie“deceit, trickery”
- Englishbarratry
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.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Greek ναυταπάτη
- ναυταπάτη (naftapáti)unlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner
Polish pieniactwo, barateria
- pieniactwopersistant instigation of typically groundless lawsuits
- barateriaunlawful or fraudulent acts by the crew of a vessel, harming the vessel's owner
Cite this entry
barratry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barratry
“barratry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barratry. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “barratry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barratry.
Source: barratry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.