assizes
|a-siz-ez|
/əˈsaɪzɪz/
(assize)
formal sitting (court) / statute
Etymology
'assize' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'assise', where the Latin root 'assidere' (ad- + sedere) meant 'to sit (beside)'.
'assize' changed from Old French 'assise' and entered Middle English as 'assize', eventually becoming the modern English word 'assize' and its plural 'assizes'.
Initially, it referred to a sitting or session (and by extension ordinances/settled rules); over time it became primarily associated with the periodic courts (the 'assizes') in English legal history.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the periodic sessions of the higher county criminal courts in England and Wales (historical); the court sittings themselves.
He was tried at the assizes and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Synonyms
Noun 2
historical statutes or regulations (often concerning measures, prices, or quality), e.g. the assizes of bread and ale.
Historically, the assizes regulated the price and quality of bread.
Synonyms
Verb 1
third-person singular of 'assize' — to sit in judgment or to hold an assize (rare/archaic).
The justices assizes in the county court that week.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/04 02:52