Immemorial

Immemorial
Immemorial Im`me*mo"ri*al, a. [Pref. im- not + memorial: cf. F. imm['e]morial.] Extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition; indefinitely ancient; as, existing from time immemorial. ``Immemorial elms.'' --Tennyson. ``Immemorial usage or custom.'' --Sir M. Hale. [1913 Webster]

{Time immemorial} (Eng. Law.), a time antedating (legal) history, and beyond ``legal memory'' so called; formerly an indefinite time, but in 1276 this time was fixed by statute as the begining of the reign of Richard I. (1189). Proof of unbroken possession or use of any right since that date made it unnecessary to establish the original grant. In 1832 the plan of dating legal memory from a fixed time was abandoned and the principle substituted that rights which had been enjoyed for full twenty years (or as against the crown thirty years) should not be liable to impeachment merely by proving that they had not been enjoyed before. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • immémorial — immémorial, iale, iaux [ i(m)memɔrjal, jo ] adj. • 1509; lat. médiév. immemorialis ♦ Qui remonte à une époque si ancienne qu elle est sortie de la mémoire. Usage immémorial. De temps immémorial : de toute antiquité. En des temps immémoriaux. ●… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • immémorial — immémorial, ale (i mmé mo ri al, a l ) adj. Qui est si ancien, qu il n en reste aucune mémoire. Des priviléges immémoriaux. •   être en possession immémoriale, PATRU Plaidoyer 3, dans RICHELET. •   La coutume immémoriale qui encourage les femmes… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • immemorial — (adj.) c.1600, from Fr. immémorial (16c.) old beyond memory, from M.L. immemorialis, from assimilated form of in not, opposite of (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) + memorialis (see MEMORIAL (Cf. memorial)). Something immemorial is ancient beyond memory;… …   Etymology dictionary

  • immemorial — Immemorial, [immemori]ale. adj. Qui est si ancien qu il n y a point de memoire quand il a commencé. De temps immemorial. une coustume immemoriale. un usage immemorial …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • immemorial — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ existing from before what can be remembered or found in records: from time immemorial. DERIVATIVES immemorially adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • Immemorial — (v. lat.), undenkbar; woran sich Niemand mehr erinnert; daher Immemorialverjährung, eine Verjährung über Menschengedenken …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • immemorial — [adj] ancient, old age old, archaic, fixed, forever, long standing, of yore, olden, prehistoric, primeval, rooted, time honored, traditional; concepts 578,797,799 Ant. current, lately, memorable, new, recent, young …   New thesaurus

  • immemorial — [im΄ə môr′ē əl] adj. [ML immemorialis: see IN 2 & MEMORIAL] extending back beyond memory or record; ancient immemorially adv …   English World dictionary

  • immemorial — [[t]ɪ̱mɪmɔ͟ːriəl[/t]] 1) PHRASE (emphasis) If you say that something has been happening since time immemorial or from time immemorial, you are emphasizing that it has been happening for many centuries. [LITERARY] It has remained virtually… …   English dictionary

  • immemorial — im|me|mo|ri|al [ ,ımə mɔriəl ] adjective LITERARY extremely old: immemorial hills from/since time immemorial for an extremely long time: the forces that have governed people s lives from time immemorial …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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