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I do not know what "to fail at one's peril" means. The phrase appears in legal documents until the 19th century (at least this is what Google suggests). I cannot deduce its meaning no matter how hard I try.

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General reference: Googling define "at one's peril" shows a clear definition with risk or danger to one; at the hazard of on the first reference, without even leaving Google homepage. – FumbleFingers Feb 7 '12 at 21:52

closed as general reference by FumbleFingers, Gnawme, kiamlaluno, Matt Эллен, Mitch Feb 10 '12 at 2:53

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

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The complete sentence is often something like, "Whereof you may not fail, at your peril." This means that if you fail, it will be perilous for you.

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