auto-da-fé
[ aw-toh-duh-fey ]
/ ˌɔ toʊ dəˈfeɪ /
noun, plural au·tos-da-fé.
the public declaration of the judgment passed on persons tried in the courts of the the Spanish Inquisition, followed by the execution by the civil authorities of the sentences imposed, especially the burning of condemned heretics at the stake.
Origin of auto-da-fé
1715–25; < Portuguese: act of the faith
Words nearby auto-da-fé
auto,
auto court,
auto lift,
auto racing,
auto-,
auto-da-fé,
auto-destruct,
auto-dial,
auto-dialer,
auto-repeat,
auto-tune
Example sentences from the Web for auto-da-fe
British Dictionary definitions for auto-da-fe
auto-da-fé
/ (ˌɔːtəʊdəˈfeɪ) /
noun plural autos-da-fé
history
a ceremony of the Spanish Inquisition including the pronouncement and execution of sentences passed on sinners or heretics
the burning to death of people condemned as heretics by the Inquisition
Word Origin for auto-da-fé
C18: from Portuguese, literally: act of the faith