avowry
|a-vow-ry|
/əˈvaʊri/
formal claim or acknowledgement of right
Etymology
'avowry' originates from Anglo-French, specifically the word 'avouerie' (also attested as 'avouerie'/'avouerie'), where 'avouer' meant 'to acknowledge, own'.
'avowry' changed from Old French/Anglo-French 'avouerie' into Middle English forms such as 'avowrie' or 'avowry' and eventually settled as the modern English form 'avowry'.
Initially it meant 'an act of acknowledging or owning (possession or right)'; over time it came to be used in law chiefly for the specific plea or justification for possession now called 'avowry'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in law: a defendant's formal plea in an action for replevin (or similar remedies) by which the defendant asserts a right to hold or justify taking the goods — a justification or claim of right to possession.
The defendant entered an avowry, asserting that the goods had been lawfully distrained.
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Noun 2
an open acknowledgement or frank declaration (archaic/general use).
Her avowry of guilt surprised everyone in the room.
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Last updated: 2025/12/03 18:04