letter of marque

noun

An official commission from a government authorizing someone to seize the property or people of another nation; especially to attack merchant shipping of another nation.

Similar
letter of marque and reprisalletters of marqueletter of mark and reprisal
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Meanings

nounletter of marque (plural letters of marque)

plural letters of marque · alternative letter of mart

  1. historicalnauticalAn official commission from a government authorizing someone to seize the property or people of another nation; especially to attack merchant shipping of another nation.

    A letter of marque came from the King / to the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen / God damn them all! I was told / We'd cruise the seas for American gold / We'd fire no guns, shed no tears.

    1976, Stan Rogers, “Barrett's Privateers”, in Fogarty's Cove

    Synonyms: letter of marque and reprisal

  2. historicalnauticalA ship that has been armed for such a task.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn official commission from a government authorizing someone to seize the property or people of another nation; especially to attack merchant shipping of another nation.

Similar
letter of marque and reprisal

More synonyms by meaning

nouna license to a private citizen to seize vessels of another nation and their property

Similar
letters of marqueletter of mark and reprisal
Broader
licenselicencepermit
Also see
marque

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Catalan patent de cors
  • patent de corsofficial commission
Chinese Mandarin 私掠許可證 /私掠许可证, 私掠船
  • 私掠許可證 /私掠许可证 (sīlüè xǔkězhèng)official commission
  • 私掠船 (sīlüèchuán)ship that has been armed for such a task
Dutch kaperbrief, kaperschip
  • kaperbriefofficial commission
  • kaperschipship that has been armed for such a task
Finnish kaapparikirja, kaapparilaiva
  • kaapparikirjaofficial commission
  • kaapparilaivaship that has been armed for such a task
French lettre de marque
  • lettre de marqueofficial commission
German Kaperbrief
  • Kaperbriefofficial commission
Polish list kaperski, kaper
  • list kaperskiofficial commission
  • kapership that has been armed for such a task
Portuguese carta de marca
  • carta de marcaofficial commission
Russian ка́перское свиде́тельство, ка́пер
  • ка́перское свиде́тельство (káperskoje svidételʹstvo)official commission
  • ка́пер (káper)ship that has been armed for such a task
  • привати́р (privatír)ship that has been armed for such a task
Spanish patente de corso
  • patente de corsoofficial commission
Swedish kaparbrev, kaparskepp
  • kaparbrevofficial commission
  • kaparskeppship that has been armed for such a task
Cite this entry
APA

letter of marque. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/letter%20of%20marque

MLA

“letter of marque.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/letter%20of%20marque. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “letter of marque,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/letter%20of%20marque.

Source: letter of marque on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.