Lèse-majesté/ˌliːzˈmædʒᵻsti/ (French:lèse-majesté[lɛz maʒɛste]; Law French, from the Latin laesa maiestas, "injured majesty"; in English, also lese-majesty, lese majesty or leze majesty) is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.