A person with whom one corresponds; someone you regularly exchange letters or messages with; or in legal contexts, a joint defendant named in court proceedings.
From 'co-' (together) + 'respondent' (from Latin 'respondere' meaning to answer). In law, it refers to a co-defendant, particularly in divorce cases where someone is named as involved in the affair.
In historical legal documents, a 'corespondent' in divorce cases was often someone's romantic partner—a term that perfectly captures how they 'responded' to advances, making it both precise and scandalously formal.
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