Word: Compurgator

compurgator \KAHM-per-gay-ter\ noun

: one who under oath vouches for the character or conduct of an accused person

Example sentence:
Several of his acquaintances were brought into court as compurgators.

Did you know?

"Compurgator" comes to us from the Latin word "compurgatus" and the suffix "-or." "Compurgatus" is the past participle of the verb "compurgare," meaning "to purge completely." "Purgare" also gave us our "purge" ("to clear of guilt," "to cause evacuation from," or "to get rid of") and "expurgate" ("to cleanse of something morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous"). "Compurgator" has occasionally been used in a more general sense of "one who supports or defends another," but its primary application is to the specific legal situation in which someone appears in court as a character witness for the defendant. "Compurgator" has been used in English with this specific legal meaning since the 16th century.

My sentence: Despite the attorney's best attempts, no compugators could be found for her client.