jointure
Noun: 1. (Law, historical) A property or estate settled upon a woman at the time of her marriage, to be owned by her after her husband's death. This was arranged in place of or as a guarantee of her traditional right to a dower (a life interest in one-third of her husband's lands). 2. (Archaic) The act of joining; a union.
The word "jointure" is primarily used in historical and legal contexts concerning inheritance and marriage settlements from past centuries. It is not commonly used in modern everyday English.
Examples: * The marriage contract included a jointure of the manor house and its surrounding lands for the bride. * Upon his death, the widow received her jointure as stipulated in their prenuptial agreement. * (Archaic) The jointure of the two kingdoms was celebrated throughout the land.
- To jointure (verb, archaic): To settle a jointure upon; to provide for a wife with a jointure.
- Example: The father agreed to jointure his daughter with a substantial estate.
- Jointured (adjective): Provided with or having a jointure.
- Example: She was a well-jointured widow.
- Jointress (noun): A woman who holds a jointure; a widow who has a jointure.
- (For the legal sense) Marriage settlement, provision, settlement.
- (For the archaic sense) Union, joining, unification.
- (For the legal sense) Dower (in its specific legal contrast), dispossession.
- (For the archaic sense) Separation, division.
The core legal meaning of "jointure" is specific: it is a pre-arranged estate for a wife, effective after her husband's death, and is distinct from a "dower," which was a right arising at the husband's death. In historical practice, a jointure often replaced the right to dower. The general meaning of "a joining" is now obsolete and rarely encountered.
- the act of making or becoming a single unit
- the union of opposing factions
- he looked forward to the unification of his family for the holidays
- (law) an estate secured to a prospective wife as a marriage settlement in lieu of a dower