corruption of blood

noun

The doctrine in English common law that someone attainted of felony or treason cannot inherit property and has no legal heirs.

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Meanings

nouncorruption of blood (uncountable)
  1. historicaluncountablelawThe doctrine in English common law that someone attainted of felony or treason cannot inherit property and has no legal heirs.

    The Congreſs shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

    1787 September 17, Constitutional Convention, Constitution of the United States, Philadelphia, →OCLC, page 3
Cite this entry
APA

corruption of blood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corruption%20of%20blood

MLA

“corruption of blood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corruption%20of%20blood. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “corruption of blood,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/corruption%20of%20blood.

Source: corruption of blood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.