misprision

plural misprisions · alternative missprision

1. historicaluncountablelawCriminal neglect or wrongful execution of duty, especially by a public official; (countable) a specific instance of this.

   [I]f any persone were perceiued to be absent, or were sene to laughe at the folye of the emperour [Nero], he was forthe with accused, as it were, of missprision: whereby the emperour founde occasion to committe him to prison or to put hym to tortures.

   1531, Thomas Elyot, “In what Wise Musike may be to a Noble Man Necessarie: And what Modestie ought to be therin”, in The Boke Named the Governour […], London: […] Tho[mas] Bertheleti, →OCLC

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   Bribery is a great miſpriſion, when any man in Judiciall place takes any Fee or Penſion, Robe, or Livery, Gift, Reward, or Brocage of any perſon, that hath to do before him any way, for doing his office, or by colour of his office, but of the King only, unleſſe it be of meat and drink, and that of ſmall value, upon divers, and grievous puniſhments.

   1644, Edw[ard] Coke, “Of Bribery, Extortion, Exaction, &c. And First of Bribery.”, in The Third Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England. […], London: […] M[iles] Flesher, for W[illiam] Lee, and D[aniel] Pakeman, →OCLC, page 145

2. historicaluncountablelawIn full misprision of felony or misprision of treason: originally, a less serious form of felony or treason; later, the crime of (intentionally) failing to give information about a felony or treason that one knows about; (countable) an instance of this.

   misprision of heresy

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   Misprisions (a term derived from the old French, meſpris, a neglect or contempt) are, in the acceptation of our law, generally underſtood to be all ſuch high offences as are under the degree of capital, but nearly bordering thereon: and it is ſaid, that a miſpriſion is contained in every treaſon and felony whatſoever; and that, if the king ſo pleaſe, the offender may be proceeded againſt for the miſpriſion only. […] Miſpriſions are generally divided into two ſorts; negative, which conſiſt in the concealment of ſomething which ought to be revealed; and poſitive, which conſiſt in the commiſſion of ſomething which ought not to be done.

   1769, William Blackstone, “Of Misprisions and Contempts, Affecting the King and Government”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book IV (Of Public Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 119

   The argument was a worthless one in law; for Eustace had been a prisoner before he was a guest, and Amyas was guilty of something very like misprision of treason in not handing him over to the nearest justice.

   1855, Charles Kingsley, “How Salvation Yeo Slew the King of the Gubbings”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 176

   Mr Borthrop Trumbull really knew nothing about old Featherstone's will; but he could hardly have been bought to declare any ignorance unless he had been arrested for misprision of treason.

   1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XXXII, in Middlemarch […], volume II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book III, page 161

3. broadlyuncountableMisinterpretation or misunderstanding; (countable) an instance of this; a mistake.

   A Feuer in your blood vvhy then inciſion VVould let her out in Savvcers, ſvveete miſpriſon.^([sic])

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

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   What haſt thou done? Thou haſt miſtaken quite, And laid the loue iuice on ſome true loues ſight. Of thy miſpriſion, muſt perforce enſue Some true loue turnd, and not a falſe turnd true.

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

   [T]hey [women] have what men call self-belief and blame you for your misprisions in their dreams, they are conspiracy theorists, benevolent dictators […]

   1984, Martin Amis, Money: A Suicide Note, London: Penguin Books, published 1985, →ISBN, page 331

4. broadlyuncountableIncorrect or unfair suspicion; (countable) an instance of this.

1. uncountableDespising or holding in contempt; disdain, scorn.

   What if I love you!—This misery / Of your dissatisfaction and misprision / Stupefies me.

   1917, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “A Bad Beginning”, in Look! We Have Come Through!, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 77

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   Heere, take her hand, / Proud ſcornful boy, vnworthie this good gift, / That doſt in vile miſpriſion ſhackle vp / My loue, and her deſert: […]

   c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 238, column 1

   [Y]ou may be one of those unhappy persons, whose dim eyes being unable to penetrate the starry spheres, and to discern therein the decrees of heaven at a distance, have their hearts barred against conviction by prejudice and misprision.

   1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, page 42

   The boy was grievously distressed by the loss [of a book]; it seemed an insult to Ruth Hailey, and a misprision of her kindly wishes.

   1895, I[srael] Zangwill, “A Wander-year”, in The Master, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, book I, page 96

   Synonyms: misprisal, misprizement, misprizing

2. uncountableNot seeing the value in something; undervaluing.

   Synonyms: misprizing