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Reliance of the mind on evidence of facts derived from other sources than personal knowledge; belief; credit; confidence. To give credence to the Scripture miracles. Trench. An assertion which might easily find credence. Macualay.

r general banking business, or for the construction of public works, by means of loans on personal estate, after the manner of the crédit foncier on real estate. In practice, however, this distinction has not been strictly observed.

ed to civil; as, the criminal code. The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject . . . were in some cases liable to criminal process. Hallam. Criminal action (Law), an action or suit instituted to secure conviction and punishment for a crime. -- Criminal convers…

That which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark or criticism, or a sarcasm; personal discourtesy, as neglecting to recognize an acquaintance when meeting him; a slight. Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, snapped his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed. W. Irving.

Make use of every friend -- any every foe. Pope. Among boys little tenderness is shown to personal defects. Macaulay.

A personal chattel which had caused the death of a person, and for that reason was given to God, that is, forfeited to the crown, to be applied to pious uses, and distributed in alms by the high almoner. Thus, if a cart ran over a man and killed him, it was forfeited as a deodand.

a form of action for the recovery of a personal chattel wrongfully detained. Writ of detinue (Law), one that lies against him who wrongfully detains goods or chattels delivered to him, or in possession, to recover the thing itself, or its value and damages, from the detainer. It is now in a great measure superseded by…

ving or disposing of real estate by will; -- sometimes improperly applied to a bequest of personal estate.

Not influenced by regard to personal interest or advantage; free from selfish motive; having no relation of interest or feeling; not biased or prejudiced; as, a disinterested decision or judge. The happiness of disinterested sacrifices. Channing.

acknowledge as belonging to one's self; to disavow or deny, as connected with one's self personally; as, a parent can hardly disown his child; an author will sometimes disown his writings.

The act or proceeding of seizing personal property by distress. Abbott.

The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc.

Of or pertaining to a domicile, or the residence of a person or family. The personal and domiciliary rights of the citizen scrupulously guarded. Motley. Domiciliary visit (Law), a visit to a private dwelling, particularly for searching it, under authority.

A grand personage, or one making pretension to consequence; especially, the head of a college, or one of the fellows at the English universities. [Univ. Cant] "The great dons of wit." Dryden.

rom the wife of her husband's heir bearing the same name; -- chiefly applied to widows of personages of rank. With prudes for proctors, dowagers for deans. Tennyson. Queen dowager, the widow of a king.

The quality or condition of being a duke; also, the personality of a duke. Massinger.

Goods; movables; personal estate; -- sometimes used to embrace real as well as personal property; as, the people escaped from the town with their effects. For effect, for an exaggerated impression or excitement. -- In effect, in fact; in substance. See 8, above. -- Of no effect, Of none effect, To no effect, or Witho…

Personality. [R.] Swift.

ception) or in fact; being; essence; existence. Self-subsisting entities, such as our own personality. Shairp. Fortune is no real entity, . . . but a mere relative signification. Bentley.

en mean solar and apparent solar time. Knight. -- Normal equation. See under Normal. -- Personal equation (Astron.), the difference between an observed result and the true qualities or peculiarities in the observer; particularly the difference, in an average of a large number of observation, between the instant when…