quo warranto
Preserved but no longer current.
A writ against a defendant (whether an individual or a cor- poration) who lays claim to something he has no right to; so named because the offender is called upon to sh9W quo warranto (rerri) usurpavit (by what right or authority he lays claim to the matter of dispute.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “quo warranto” mean?
A writ against a defendant (whether an individual or a cor- poration) who lays claim to something he has no right to; so named because the offender is called upon to sh9W quo warranto (rerri) usurpavit (by what right or authority he lays claim to the matter of dispute.
Is “quo warranto” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.