alsatia

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An area lying north of London's River Thames, once privileged as a sanctuary and thus known as a refuge for criminals. It spanned from the Whitefriars monastery to the south of the west end of Fleet Street and adjacent to the Temple.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Whitefriars, adjacent to the Temple, then well known by the cant name of Alsatia, had at this time, and for nearly a century afterwards, the privilege of a sanctuary[.]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “alsatia” mean?

An area lying north of London's River Thames, once privileged as a sanctuary and thus known as a refuge for criminals. It spanned from the Whitefriars monastery to the south of the west end of Fleet Street and adjacent to the Temple.

Is “alsatia” formal or informal?

alsatia is generally slang.