life estate

British

noun

property that may be held only for the extent of the holder's lifetime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He will also leave me a life estate in our home.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

It cannot override a life estate, a valid prenuptial agreement or named beneficiaries.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

For example, assuming that a life estate is properly structured, the children who are set to inherit the property generally cannot force a sale while the life tenant is still living there.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

Discuss the merits of a life estate with your husband.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

"No," said Mr. Black, "it is proper that you should have a life estate in the property, but the property itself should ultimately go to the children."

From The House An Episode in the Lives of Reuben Baker, Astronomer, and of His Wife, Alice by Field, Eugene

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023