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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sediti(o)us, -ici(o)us, adj. Also: sediciouse, sediciowse, seditous, sedetiose, scedicious, scedusueus. [Late ME and e.m.E. sedycyous (1447), sedycious (Caxton), cedicious (1496), sedicious (1535), seditious (1596), OF seditieux (c1355 in Larousse), L. sēditiōs-us.]

1. Of persons a. Provoking or engaging in strife or dissension generally; quarrelsome; factious. b. Engaged in dissension against a lawful authority; rebellious. Also absol.a., b. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 451.
[Mars] With colour reid, and luke malicious, … Austeir, angrye, sweir, and seditious 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 35.
Becaus multitude of capitanis is sedicious, best is to cheis ane of ws to haiff autorite abone the laiff 1533 Bell. Livy I 156/30.
Sedicius 1533 Bell. Livy I 271/7.
Ane cumpany of clatterand tribunis, seditious lymmaris, sawaris of discorde 1548 Cal. Sc. P. I 143.
Fayned prophecies … and cronicles againste the verite, composed by sediciouse persons 1555 Acts II 499/2.
Diuers seditious persounis hes … rasit amangis the commoun pepill … sclanders speiking aganis the quenis grace 1562 Edinb. Hammermen 252b.
The said William … iniuringe the said dekin and alssua callit him ane dewbill seditious man 1565 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 154.
Forsamekill as … certane seditious personis … hes … schakine of all … obedience aught to ȝow our maiestratis [etc.] 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 583.
My lord regent … willing to remove the seditious factionis standing within the said burgh be ane newtrall and indifferent way a1568 Maitland Bann. MS 13b/142.
O crewall serpent vennemus Dispytfull and seditious The grund of all our cair 1585 Acts III 375/2. 1585–6 Melvill in Misc. Wodrow Soc. 438.
Calling them [sc. the clergy] lownes, smaicks, seditious knaves, and so furth 1594 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's 13.
That the brethren ought to stick together to hiss seditious persons, meaning me Tobias, out of the paroch a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 54.
Sediciowse 1596 Acts IV 103/2.
Ane rascall multitude in armes at the instigatioun of certane seditious ministeris 1596 Reg. Privy C. V 313.
Be certane malicious, seditious and unquiet spiritis 1596 Dalr. II 360/7.
He callit Mudyard sedetiose 1597–8 Crim. Trials II 30.
Ane number of the saidis seditious leyaris, authouris of the raportis and dissentioun foirsaid c1625 Misc. Spald. C. II lv.
Doctor William Leslie doctor of phisick a seditious traffequer and reasoner who under pretence of administratioun of physick is a most dangerous seducer and is suspect to have receavit ordours 1662 Decree Arbitral Earl of Rothes in Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 21 July.
And utherwayes to be persewed and punished as seditous persones(b) 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 207.
[The] greitest scedusueus knaif contrary the relegeoun and the king that is of our nasioun 1581 Sat. P. xliv 196.
Ȝour tungis scedicious and fals hes scourit bene

2. a. Of an action: Apt to promote strife or discord. b. Of conspiracies, doctrines, speeches, writings, etc.: Designed to subvert established authority; treasonable, rebellious. Also absol.a. 1562-3 Winȝet I 23/2.
The seditious calking of the buith durris of certane Catholiks … on Pasche Monunday last passitb. 1549 Compl. 132/16.
Quhen the sonnis of Brutus var makand ane sedicius pactione vitht the imbassadours of Tarquinus 1570 Southesk MSS 722/1.
The grit troble … quhilke ye … hes susteanit … be sedicious interprice within Scotlande a1578 Pitsc. II 58/18.
[George Wishart] to gif accompt of his seditious and heriticall doctrene 1579 Acts III 175/2.
And ȝit not onlie is thair a slanderous brute bot seditious rymes & infamous libellis oppinlie publishit 1579 Acts 175/2.
The said slanderous seditious and fals brute 1584 Acts III 292/2.
To ansuer vpoun certane pointis … concerning sum treasounable seditious and contumelious spechis vtterit … in pulpet scolis and vtherwayis 1596 Acts IV 102/1 (see Seditio(u)n n. 2). 1662 Acts VII 378/1.
From some treasonable and sedicious positions infused into the people, that it wes lawfull … to take vp armes against the king [etc.] 1685 Black Bk. Kincardineshire 9.
All these gatherings, convocations, petitions, [etc.] … were unlaull and seditiousabsol. 1606 Lett. Eccl. Affairs I 46.
That thir jalousies … haue … furnisheid mater to the seditius bothe in the kirk and police, to hald forduard thair myscheuous attemptatis [etc.]