lese-majeste

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The Word of the Day for February 22 is:

lese-majeste   \layz-MAJ-uh-stee\   noun 
     1 a : a crime (as treason) committed against a sovereign power b : an 
offense violating the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign 
power
    *2 : a detraction from or affront to dignity or importance

Example sentence: 
     Some family members view Ty's criticism of his grandfather as an act of 
lese-majeste.

Did you know? 
     "Lese-majeste" (or "lese majesty," as it is also styled in English 
publications) comes into English by way of Middle French, from the Latin "laesa 
majestas," which literally means "injured majesty." The English term can 
conceivably cover any offense against a sovereign power or its ruler, from 
treason to a simple breach of etiquette. "Lese-majeste" has also acquired a 
more lighthearted or ironic meaning, that of an insult or impudence to a 
particularly pompous or self-important person or organization. As such, it may 
be applied to a relatively inoffensive act that has been exaggeratedly treated 
as if it were a great affront. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence





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