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Pronunciation varies by accent · noun
(law, historical) A condition of being held as surety for a pledge, as to appear before a magistrate for trial after release from gaol..
English, Norman and French tradition seem all to point to an ancient and extremely rigorous form of suretyship or hostageship which would have rendered the surety liable to suffer the punishment that was hanging over the head of the released prisoner.
Use hostageship when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Hostageship means (law, historical) A condition of being held as surety for a pledge, as to appear before a magistrate for trial after release from gaol..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
English, Norman and French tradition seem all to point to an ancient and extremely rigorous form of suretyship or hostageship which would have rendered the surety liable to suffer the punishment that was hanging over the head of the released prisoner.
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