nolle prosequi
/ˌnoʊli ˈpɹoʊsɪkwaɪ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.15 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A proceeding or declaration by which a plaintiff or prosecutor ends a legal suit.
Example Sentences
- "[...] where the ordinary man would have met the suggestion they had made with a firm nolle prosequi, I was barred from doing this by the code of the Woosters, which, as is pretty generally known, renders it impossible for me to let a pal down. [...] “I do wish you wouldn't always be so difficult, Bertie. Your aunt tells me it was just the same when you were a child. She'd want you to eat your cereal, and you would stick your ears back and be stubborn and non-co-operative, like Jonah's ass in the Bible.” I could not let this go uncorrected. It's pretty generally known that when at school I won a prize for Scripture Knowledge. “Balaam's ass. Jonah was the chap who had the whale. Jeeves!” “Sir?” “To settle a bet, wasn't it Balaam's ass that entered the nolle prosequi?” “Yes, sir.”"
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *sekʷ-, nolle prosequi
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌnoʊli ˈpɹoʊsɪkwaɪ/
- British English: /ˌnɒlɪ ˈpɹɒsɪkwaɪ/
Usage
- British usage
- Informal
- Transitive verb
Inflected Forms
nolle prosequis (plural)
nolle prosequies (plural)
noli prosequi (alternative, obsolete)
nolo prosequi (alternative, obsolete)
nolly prossy coy (alternative, obsolete)
nolle prosequis (present, singular)
nolle prosequing (participle, present)
nolle prosequiing (participle, present)
nolle prosequied (participle, past)
nolle prosequied (past)