auto-da-fé

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Pronunciations

auto-da-fé (AW-toh-duh-FEY) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A ceremony in Medieval Spain and Portugal in which Inquisition authorities would sentence heretics; more generally, a public execution; burning at the stake.

Example Sentences

  • "The earliest record of the execution of Jews at an Auto da fé relates to that held in Troyes (L'Aube) on Saturday, April 24, 1288." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Portuguese
  • Spanish

Etymology

  • auto da fé 'act of faith'

      • Who Uses This

      • Sephardim: Jews with Sephardi or Mizrahi heritage

      Dictionaries

      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      auto da fé, auto-de-fé, auto de fé, auto-de-fe, auto de fe, autodafe, autodefe, autodafé, autodefé, auto, autos

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