Monition

monition
    n 1: a firm rebuke [syn: {admonition}, {admonishment},
         {monition}]
    2: cautionary advice about something imminent (especially
       imminent danger or other unpleasantness); "a letter of
       admonition about the dangers of immorality"; "the warning was
       to beware of surprises"; "his final word of advice was not to
       play with matches" [syn: {admonition}, {monition}, {warning},
       {word of advice}]
    3: a summons issued after the filing of a libel or claim
       directing all parties concerned to show cause why the
       judgment asked for should not be granted [syn: {monition},
       {process of monition}]
    

Monition \Mo*ni"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. monitio, from monere to
   warn, bring to mind; akin to E. mind. See {Mind}, and cf.
   {Admonish}, {Money}, {Monster}.]
   1. Instruction or advice given by way of caution; an
      admonition; a warning; a caution.
      [1913 Webster]

            Sage monitions from his friends.      --Swift.
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   2. Information; indication; notice; advice.
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            We have no visible monition of . . . other periods,
            such as we have of the day by successive light and
            darkness.                             --Holder.
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   3. (Admiralty Practice) A process in the nature of a summons
      to appear and answer.
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   4. (Eccl. Law) An order monishing a party complained against
      to obey under pain of the law. --Shipley.
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MONITION, practice. In those courts which use the civil law process, (as the 
court of admiralty, whose proceedings are, under the provisions of the acts 
of congress, to be according to the course of the civil law,) it is a 
process in the nature of a summons; it is either, general, special, or 
mixed. 
     2.-1. The general monition is a citation or summons to all persons 
interested, or, as is commonly said, to the whole world, to appear and show 
cause why the libel filed in the case should not be sustained, and the 
prayer of relief granted. This is adopted in prize cases, admiralty suits 
for forfeitures, and other suits in rem, when no particular individuals are 
summoned to answer. In such cases the taking possession of the property 
libeled, and this general citation or nomination, served according to law, 
are considered constructive notice to the world of the pendency of the suit; 
and the judgment rendered thereupon is conclusive upon the title of the 
property which may be affected. In form, the monition is a warrant of the 
court, in an admiralty cause, directed to the marshal or his deputy, 
commanding him in the name of the president of the United States, to give 
public notice, by advertisements in such newspapers as the court may select, 
and by notification to be posted in public places, that a libel has been 
filed in a certain admiralty cause pending, and of the time and place 
appointed for the trial. A brief statement of the allegations in the libel 
is usually contained in the monition. The monition is served in the manner 
directed in the warrant. 
     3.-2. A special monition is a similar warrant, directed to the 
marshal or his deputy, requiring him to give special notice to certain 
persons, named in the warrant, of the pendency of the suit, the grounds of 
it, and the time and place of trial. It is served by delivery of a copy of 
the warrant, attested by the officer, to each one of the adverse parties, or 
by leaving the same at his usual place of residence; but the service should 
be personal if possible. Clark. Prax. tit. 21; Dunl. Admr. Pr. 135. 
     4.-3. A mixed monition is one which contains directions for a general 
monition to all persons interested, and a special summons to particular 
persons named in the warrant. This is served by newspaper advertisements, by 
notifications posted in public places, and by delivery of a copy attested by 
the officer to each person specially named, or by leaving it at his usual 
place of residence. See Dunlap's Adm. Pr. Index, h.t.; Bett's Adm. Pr. 
Index, h.t. 
    

68 Moby Thesaurus words for "monition":
      admonishment, admonition, advice, advising, advocacy, alarm,
      alerting, briefing, caution, cautioning, caveat, certiorari,
      citation, clue, consultation, council, counsel, cue, determent,
      deterrence, deterrent example, direction, example, exhortation,
      expostulation, final notice, final warning, forewarning,
      frightening off, garnishment, guidance, habeas corpus, hint,
      hortation, idea, instruction, intimidation, lesson, moral, notice,
      notification, object lesson, office, opinion, parley, passing word,
      pointer, proposal, recommendation, remonstrance, steer, subpoena,
      suggestion, summons, talking out of, thought, threat, tip, tip-off,
      ultimatum, venire, venire de novo, venire facias, verbum sapienti,
      warning, warning piece, whisper, writ of summons