Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun plural The members of the witenagemot in Anglo-Saxon England.
  • noun plural The witenagemot.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In AngloSaxon hist, members of the witenagemot.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun plural (A.-S. Hist.) Lit., wise men

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The Anglo-Saxon national council or witenagemot.
  • noun The members of such an assembly.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Old English, pl. of wita, councilor; see witenagemot.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old English witan, plural of wita ("wise man"), or more literally "men of wit", "wits".

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Examples

  • But we ought not to allow the use of the word witan in this connexion, by the Saxon chronicler, or of "election" by other historians or by Henry himself, to impose upon us the belief in a constitutional right of election in the modern sense, which could no more have existed at that time than a definite law of inheritance.

    The History of England from the Norman Conquest to the Death of John (1066-1216) George Burton Adams 1888

  • "This then is the secular law which by the counsel of my 'witan' I will that it be observed all over England".

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 13: Revelation-Stock 1840-1916 1913

  • A body of nobles known as the "witan" joined with the king in most of the actions of government.

    An Introduction to the Industrial and Social History of England Edward Potts Cheyney 1904

  • I have a mind to go and teach the pack of fools whom Streone leads by the nose and calls a witan, that there is one man left in England who is strong enough to make them pay scatt to himself! "

    King Olaf's Kinsman A Story of the Last Saxon Struggle against the Danes in the Days of Ironside and Cnut 1884

  • His lifestyle was that of a prince-bishop, riding with the army, leading York's witan council, negotiating diplomatic settlements with foreign powers, making and breaking kings, languishing in prison and finally dying in embittered political exile.

    Five historical figures Carla 2006

  • The traditions of paganism were quite strong among his witan, and one of the most memorable passages of Bede deals with the final acceptance of Christianity among the thegns.

    Edwin of Northumbria Carolingian 2006

  • The traditions of paganism were quite strong among his witan, and one of the most memorable passages of Bede deals with the final acceptance of Christianity among the thegns.

    Archive 2006-10-01 Carolingian 2006

  • His lifestyle was that of a prince-bishop, riding with the army, leading York's witan council, negotiating diplomatic settlements with foreign powers, making and breaking kings, languishing in prison and finally dying in embittered political exile.

    Archive 2006-06-01 Carla 2006

  • The Confessor's bequest, acceptance by the witan, and coronation “legalized” William's title.

    b. The British Isles 2001

  • Godwin's influence led to the deposition of the Norman archbishop of Canterbury and the selection of the Saxon Stigand by the witan.

    616-80 2001

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