Escheat
/ɪsˈtʃiːt/noun
The reversion of property to a feudal lord or the state when someone dies without heirs.
Did you know?The word comes from feudal law, where land could “fall back” to a lord if no rightful heir appeared, making inheritance feel less like family and more like cosmic bookkeeping.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
excadere
“to fall out, fall away”
Old French
OF
escheoir
“to fall to one’s lot; to happen; to escheat”
Anglo-French
AF
eschete
“a reversion of property to a lord”
14th Century
English
eschete
“the feudal reversion of land or goods to a lord or the crown”
Modern English
EN
escheat
“the reversion of property to the state when there are no legal heirs”