Disentail

/ˌdɪsɛnˈteɪl/ verb

Definition

To break or remove an entail (a legal arrangement that restricts who can inherit property); to free property from entailment.

Etymology

From dis- (reverse, undo) + entail (from Old French entailler, meaning to cut into). In law, an entail restricted inheritance to a specific line of descendants, and 'disentail' was the legal process of breaking that restriction.

Kelly Says

In early American history, Thomas Jefferson worked to abolish entails in Virginia because they kept property locked in aristocratic families—'disentail' was the legal term for breaking these chains and allowing property to be freely bought and sold.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.