Main Entry: lèse–ma·jes·té

Variant(s): or lese maj·es·ty \ˌlāz-ˈma-jə-stē, ˌlez-, ˌlēz-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle French lese majesté, from Latin laesa majestas, literally, injured majesty

Date: 1536

1 a : a crime (as treason) committed against a sovereign power b : an offense violating the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power
2 : a detraction from or affront to dignity or importance