Meanings
present singular third person octroys · participle present octroying · participle past octroyed · past octroyed
- To grant (a privilege etc, by a government etc).
This is only, as usual, making an individual the scapegoat of an epoch! It is given to no man to octroy the liberty of peoples.
1848, Frances Wright, England, the Civilizer: Her History Developed in Its Principles1 more example
Meanwhile, however, preparations were already being made by the imperial court to impose the octroyed constitution (composed by the Interior Minister, Count Franz Stadion) on March 4, 1849, and to dissolve the Parliament on March 7.
2008, Oto Luthar, The Land Between: A History of Slovenia, page 288
Origin
- Latinauctōrizō
- Old Frenchotroiier
- Middle Frenchoctroyer
- Middle Englishoctroy
- Englishoctroy
From Middle English octroy, from Middle French octroyer, from Old French otroiier, from Latin auctōrizō. Doublet of authorize.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan atorgar
- atorgarto grant a privilege
French octroyer
- octroyerto grant a privilege
Italian ottriare
- ottriareto grant a privilege
Spanish otorgar
- otorgarto grant a privilege
Cite this entry
octroy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octroy
“octroy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octroy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “octroy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octroy.
Source: octroy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.