Definition

1. Noun:

   • A monetary penalty or fine: "mulct" refers to a sum of money that is taken as a punishment for an offense or violation.

2. Verb:

   • To impose a fine upon; to penalize by requiring a payment of money: This meaning involves punishing someone by making them pay money.
   • To deprive or swindle someone of money or property by deceit or fraud: This meaning involves obtaining something through trickery or deception.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The court imposed a heavy mulct on the company for violating environmental regulations.
  • The traffic violation resulted in a mulct of two hundred dollars.

• Verb (to impose a fine):

  • The city council voted to mulct residents who fail to properly sort their recycling.
  • The judge mulcted the defendant for contempt of court.

• Verb (to swindle):

  • The dishonest contractor mulcted the elderly couple out of their life savings.
  • He was accused of mulcting investors with a fake cryptocurrency scheme.

Advanced Usage

• Legal and Archaic Tone: The word "mulct" is often used in formal, legal, or somewhat archaic contexts. In modern everyday English, words like "fine" (noun/verb) or "swindle" are more common.
  • The ancient law allowed the king to mulct his subjects for minor infractions.

Variants and Related Words

• Mulctation (n, rare): The act of mulcting; imposition of a fine.
• Fine (n/v): A more common synonym for a monetary penalty.
• Penalty (n): A punishment for breaking a law or rule.
• Forfeit (n/v): Something lost or surrendered as a penalty.

Synonyms

• Noun (penalty): Fine, penalty, forfeit, amercement.
• Verb (to fine): Fine, penalize, amerce.
• Verb (to swindle): Swindle, defraud, cheat, fleece, con, bilk, gyp.

Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Mulct" is not commonly used to form phrasal verbs. The actions are typically expressed with prepositions.) - To mulct someone of something: This is the standard construction for the swindling meaning. - The scam artist mulcted the victims of their jewelry.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms specifically using the word "mulct." The concept is expressed by more common terms like "fine" or "swindle.")

Noun

1. money extracted as a penalty

Verb

1. impose a fine on
   • he was fined for littering
2. deprive of by deceit
   • He swindled me out of my inheritance
   • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
   • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change