In English common law, a person convicted of treason or felony could be “attainted,” meaning legally declared dishonoured and stripped of rights such as owning property, bringing lawsuits, or passing an inheritance to descendants. Attainder could also involve “corruption of blood,” preventing the person’s family from inheriting through them. In poetry and historical writing, the word often evokes political persecution, disgrace, execution, or the destructive reach of royal and state power.

The term comes from Old French ataindre, meaning “to convict” or “to stain.” Historically, attainder was especially associated with treason, because rulers could use it to destroy not only an accused person but also that person’s family line. A bill of attainder is a legislative act that declares a person guilty and imposes punishment without a judicial trial. The United States Constitution prohibits bills of attainder. Do not confuse attainder with simple imprisonment or execution: its distinctive feature is the legal loss of rights and, historically, the effect on inheritance. Related terms include forfeiture, corruption of blood, treason, and bill of attainder.