bloodguiltiness

English

Alternative forms

• blood-guiltiness

Etymology

From bloodguilty +‎ -ness.

Noun

bloodguiltiness (uncountable)

1. Guilt of having shed blood or killed someone.
   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “The Firste Daie of Lente Commonly Called Ashe-wednisdaye”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio xxxii, verso:

     Deliuer me from bloud giltineſſe (O God) thou that art the god of my health: and my toungue ſhall ſyng of thy righteouſneſſe.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 4, page 206:

     [H]igh God, in lieu of innocence, / Imprinted had that token of his wrath, / To ſhew how ſore bloudguiltineſſe he hat'th; [...]

   • 1881, C. F. Hull, Shadows of good things to come; or, the gospel in Ruth, page 42:

     Take heed, then, lest, while you plume yourselves on your superior wisdom and discrimination, the Great Captain does not arraign you before his court-martial on the charge of blood-guiltiness.