Society > Law > Inheritance

Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.

adeem to cancel a bequest by destruction of the thing bequeathed.
ademption the revoking by testator, donor, etc., of a legacy, donation, etc., by previously paying a sum or parting with the object bequeathed.
apparent seeming > APPARENTLY; (noun, Shakesp.) an heir-apparent > APPARENTS.
bequeath to grant by testament.
bequeather one who bequeaths.
bequest a legacy.
codicil a supplement to a will. [L. codicillus, dim. of codex].
coexecutor a joint executor.
coheir a joint heir; one of two or more heirs.
coheiress a joint heiress.
coheritor a joint heir; one of two or more heirs.
coparcenary coparcenery joint heirship or ownership.
coparcener one who has an equal portion with others of an inheritance.
curtesy the lifetime right of a husband to a deceased wife's property.
cypres the legal doctrine of applying money left for a charity to an object as close as possible to the original when the original is impractical > CYPRESES.
demise to give to a successor; to bequeath by will.
devastavit waste or misapplication of the assets of a deceased person by an executor or an administrator.
devisal the act of devising or bequeathing real property (as contrasted with personal property).
devisee one to whom property is bequeathed in a will.
devisor one who devises, or gives real estate by will; a testator.
disentail to free from entailment.
disherison the act of disheriting.
disherit disinherit to deprive of an inheritance.
disheritor one who puts another out of his inheritance.
disponee the person to whom any property is legally conveyed.
entail to settle an estate on a series of heirs, so that the immediate possessor may not dispose of it.
entailer one who ENTAILS (an estate).
entailment the act of entailing or of giving, as an estate, and directing the mode of descent.
escheat the reversion of property to the state or crown in case of no legal heirs; property that has reverted to the crown; (verb) to make an escheat of; hand over as an escheat to or into.
escheatage the right of succeeding to an ESCHEAT.
escheatment forfeiture of property to state for lack of heir.
esnecy the eldest daughter's right of first choice in dividing an inheritance.
excheat = ESCHEAT, property that falls to the state or feudal lord for lack of an heir.
executor one who administrates a will.
executress executrix a woman exercising the functions of an EXECUTOR. The pl. of EXECUTRIX is EXECUTRICES or EXECUTRIXES.
exheredate to disinherit.
gavelkind a system of land inheritance by all sons equally, rather than by the eldest son.
haeres heres an heir > HAEREDES, HEREDES.
heir one who inherits; (verb) to inherit.
heirdom the state of an heir; succession by inheritance.
heiress a female inheritor.
heirless destitute of an heir.
heirloom an inherited possession.
heirship the state, character, or privileges of an heir; right of inheriting.
hereditament inheritance; hereditable property.
hereditariness the state of being HEREDITARY.
hereditary genetically transmitted or transmittable from parent to offspring.
heres see HAERES.
heretrix heritrix a heiress > HERETRIXES or HERETRICES, HERITRIXES or HERITRICES.
heritability the state of being heritable.
heritable capable of being inherited or of passing by inheritance > HERITABLY.
heritage something that is inherited.
heritress an heiress, a female heir.
heritrix see HERETRIX.
inherit to receive by legal succession.
inheritable capable of being inherited or of passing by inheritance > INHERITABLY.
inheritableness the state of being INHERITABLE.
inheritor one who inherits.
inheritress a female INHERITOR.
inheritrix a female inheritor > INHERITRICES or INHERITRIXES.
intestacy the condition or fact of dying without having made a will.
intestate not having made a will.
jointress jointuress a woman who has a JOINTURE.
jointure the settlement of a husband's estate on his wife to become effective on his death; (verb) to settle a JOINTURE on.
jointuress see JOINTRESS.
legacy something bequeathed.
legatary a person to whom a bequest is left; a LEGATEE.
legatee one to whom a legacy is bequeathed.
legator a testator; one who bequeaths a legacy.
legatorial like a LEGATOR.
legitim the portion of movable estate to which the children are entitled upon the death of the father.
majorat the right of succession to property according to age; -- so termed in some of the countries of continental Europe.
nuncupative nuncupatory of a will or testament: declared orally.
parcenary the state of being a PARCENER, coheirship.
parcener a COHEIR, or one of two or more persons to whom an estate of inheritance descends jointly, and by whom it is held as one estate.
patrimony an inheritance from one's father or ancestors.
preterition the act of passing over or omitting; the omission by a testator of some one of his entitled heirs, thus invalidating the will.
primogenit a first-born.
primogenitive primogeniture.
primogeniture the principle of inheritance by the eldest child.
probate to obtain probate of, prove (a will).
residuary consisting of residue; as, residuary matter.
reversioner person entitled to receive an estate after the reversion (grant) runs out.
revertible capable of being reverted; as, a revertible estate.
secundogeniture a custom whereby the second-oldest child inherits property.
tail taillie tailye tailzie an entailment or deed whereby the legal course of succession is cut off, and an arbitrary one substituted.
testacy the state of being testate.
testament that which testifies; a will.
testate one who has made and left a valid will.
testator a (male) person who leaves a valid will at death.
testatrix a (female) person who leaves a valid will at death > TESTATRIXES or TESTATRICES.
trustee to act as a trustee.
trusteeship the office of TRUSTEE.
willable that can be willed or disposed of by will.