The act or process of disinheriting someone, removing them from an inheritance or family legacy.
From Old French 'desherison,' combining 'des-' (dis-) with 'herison' (inheritance, from 'heriter,' to inherit). The word emerged in medieval legal language to describe the formal removal of a person's right to inherit property or titles, a serious matter in feudal societies.
Medieval nobles used 'disherison' as a weapon against rebellious children and rivals—King Henry VIII's 'disherison' of Princess Mary actually changed the entire course of English history by shifting succession rights.
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