parcenary
Definition
Noun (Law): "Parcenary" refers to the legal status or condition of being a co-heir to an estate, specifically when an inheritance is divided equally among two or more persons who are all equally entitled to the property as heirs, typically in the absence of a will.
Usage Examples
- (They became joint heirs to the estate.)
- (Each co-heir has a fractional interest in the property.)
Advanced Usage
- "Parcenary" is a technical term primarily used in historical or legal contexts, often referring to the system of inheritance before modern probate laws.
- The ancient doctrine of parcenary applied when land was inherited by multiple daughters in the absence of male heirs. (It describes a specific inheritance rule.)
Variants and Related Words
Parcener (n): a person who is a co-heir in a parcenary.
- Each parcener received an equal portion of the estate. (Each co-heir got a share.)
Coparcenary (n): a synonym for parcenary, often used interchangeably in legal texts.
- The coparcenary arrangement required all heirs to agree on the division of property. (The joint inheritance system.)
Synonyms
- Co-heirship: the condition of being a co-heir.
- Joint inheritance: an inheritance shared by multiple heirs.
- Coparcenary: a legal term for equal co-inheritance.
Related Idioms
- "In parcenary": a phrase used to describe property held jointly by co-heirs.
- The land was held in parcenary by the three daughters. (The property was shared equally among the female heirs.)
Additional Notes
- Parcenary is distinct from primogeniture, where the eldest son inherits everything, and from joint tenancy, which involves a right of survivorship. In parcenary, each heir's share can be passed to their own heirs upon death.