lese majesty
\ LEZ MAJ-uh-stee, LEEZ- \ , noun;
1.
Law. a. a crime, especially high treason, committed against the sovereign power. b. an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler.
2.
an attack on any custom, institution, belief, etc., held sacred or revered by numbers of people: Her speech against Mother's Day was criticized as lese majesty.
Quotes:
“Little brother, if you're going to commit lese majesty , never do it by messenger. I'd have to execute him too, and it's wasteful.”
-- Harry Turtledove, The Misplaced Legion , 1987
His father was what you call an agitator, and his father was in jail for lese majesty —what you call speaking the truth about the Emperor.
-- Jack London, The Iron Heel , 1908
Origin:
This term, which entered English in the 1400s, comes from the Latin laesa majestos , which literally means "violated majesty."
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