Coinheritance

/koʊˌɪnˈhɛrɪtəns/ noun

Definition

The act or condition of inheriting property or rights together with another person or persons.

Etymology

From co- (together) + inheritance (from Old French, meaning what is inherited). Developed in legal terminology during the Middle Ages when estates had to be divided among multiple heirs.

Kelly Says

Medieval kingdoms had a huge problem with this—when a king died with multiple sons, you'd get civil wars over who got what. That's why lawyers invented this term: to describe when several people legally share an inheritance together.

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