Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A declaration that the plaintiff in a civil case or the prosecutor in a criminal case will drop prosecution of all or part of a suit or indictment.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In law: in civil actions, an acknowledgment by the plaintiff that he will not further prosecute his suit, as to the whole or a part of the cause of action, or against some or one of several defendants (Bingham);
- n. in criminal cases, a declaration of record from the legal representative of the government that he will no further prosecute the particular indictment or some designated part thereof (Bishop). Abbreviated nol. pros.
Wiktionary
- n. law A declaration by the prosecutor that a civil or criminal prosecution will not proceed.
- n. figuratively A refusal, a denial, a rejection.
- v. law, transitive To issue such an declaration about a particular (charge or case).
GNU Webster's 1913
- (Law) Will not prosecute; -- an entry on the record, denoting that a plaintiff discontinues his suit, or the attorney for the public a prosecution; either wholly, or as to some count, or as to some of several defendants.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceed
- v. drop prosecution of by entering a nolle prosequi in the court records
Etymologies
- Latin nōlle prōsequī, to be unwilling to pursue : nōlle, to be unwilling + prōsequī, to pursue. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“A bill to require the Judges of the Superior Court of the various counties in this State to enter a nolle prosequi in certain cases and for other purposes.”
“Also, a bill to require the Judges of the Superior Courts of the various counties in this State, to enter a nolle prosequi in certain cases:”
“The guilty parties were never arrested, and a nolle prosequi was entered at the October term at court, 1835.”
“Also a bill to require the Judges of the Superior Courts of the various counties in this State, to enter a nolle prosequi in certain cases, and for other purposes.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘nolle prosequi’.
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briwref's list
defalcation, macerate, beldam, nescience, ochlocracy, bibelot, estivate, spatulated, introversive, mastoidal, belletristic, objurgation and 108 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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rememberers
prolix, ageusia, animadversion, anodyne, antic, arabesque, beadle, brachymetropia, colophon, desquamation, diaphoresis, diegesis and 3248 more...
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The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
discovered while reading this book.
balustrade, desideratum, laity, elysium, lairage, lambing, banjaxed, incontinence, tintack, jamb, hors de combat, nolle prosequi and 75 more...
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7 apr 2012
Long-overdue words found elsewhere.
apocryphal, gumption, nous, inoculate, bubonic, hierophant, tumescent, declivitous, capacious, veritable, disquisition, Stentorian and 40 more...
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swiss's Words
perseverate, ostensibly, recondite, palimpsest, egregious, vociferous, bathos, eviscerate, disambiguate, jubilee, hootenanny, auspicious and 62 more...
Tweets
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