escheat
Americannoun
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escheats
plural
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Also escheatment the reverting of property to the state or some agency of the state, or, as in England, to the lord of the fee or to the crown, when there is a failure of persons legally qualified to inherit or to claim.
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the right to take property subject to escheat.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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(in England before 1926) the reversion of property to the Crown in the absence of legal heirs
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(in feudal times) the reversion of property to the feudal lord in the absence of legal heirs or upon outlawry of the tenant
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the property so reverting
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of escheat
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English eschete, exschete, from Old French eschete, eschaete, escheoite, feminine past participle of escheoir, from Vulgar Latin excadēre (unrecorded) “to fall to a person's share,” equivalent to Latin ex- ex- 1 + cadere “to fall” ( Vulgar Latin cadēre )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
ICI wrote that Florida enacted a measure and “prematurely” allowed over $1 billion in securities to escheat to the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Under the English and Welsh legal system, the freehold is now subject to an unusual and ancient process known as "escheat".
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
Most laymen and many lawyers think of escheat only when persons die without wills and heirs.
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week, in a Texas suit involving three other states,*the Supreme Court issued a milestone escheat rule that finally made sense out of chaos.
From Time Magazine Archive
I think, however, Sir Reginald," said the vice-admiral, as he approached the door; "that even in the event of an escheat, you would find these Brunswick princes sufficiently liberal to restore the property.
From The Two Admirals by James Fenimore Cooper
An officer at the exchequer of very ancient establishment, under the lord-treasurer, whose business it is to inform of escheats and casual profits of the crown, and to seize them into the king's hands.
From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher
To make out and record all patents for land, and to take the return of all inquests of escheats.
From The History of Virginia, in Four Parts by Robert Beverley
Moreouer, he declared to the king, that by extortion and briberie of certeine men of great wealth, he lost manie forfeits and escheats.
From Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (6 of 12) Richard the First by Raphael Holinshed
These patentees were to receive fees, remainders, reversions and escheats, and were given power to grant patents for all land that had not been taken up.
From Virginia under the Stuarts 1607-1688 by Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker
Such as the quitrents, the money arising by the two shillings per hogshead, fort duties, the fines and forfeitures, and the profit of escheats and rights of land.
From The History of Virginia, in Four Parts by Robert Beverley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
