Legal Definitions - impetrare

Impetrare is a Latin verb originating from Roman law. It means to obtain something through a formal request or petition. Essentially, it describes the successful act of acquiring a desired outcome, permission, or privilege after making a formal appeal to an authority.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a citizen in ancient Rome who sought a special permit to build on a piece of land that had specific restrictions. They would submit a formal appeal to the relevant civic authority, detailing their reasons and plans. If the authority reviewed the petition and granted the permit, the citizen would have successfully impetrared the building permission.

  This demonstrates impetrare because the citizen *obtained* the special permit *by making a formal request* to the governing body.

• Consider a group of scholars in a medieval kingdom who wished to establish a new university and gain royal recognition and protection for their institution. They would present a detailed petition to the monarch, outlining the benefits of such an establishment. If the king approved their request and issued a royal charter, the scholars would have impetrared the university's official status and privileges.

  In this scenario, the scholars *obtained* the royal charter and official recognition *by formally requesting* it from the monarch.

• In a historical ecclesiastical context, if a religious order sought a specific exemption from a general church rule, such as permission to modify their dietary restrictions during certain periods, they would formally appeal to the Pope or a high-ranking bishop. If the church authority granted this special permission, the order would have impetrared the dispensation.

  Here, the religious order *obtained* the special exemption *by formally requesting* it from the ecclesiastical authority.