mortmain

[ mawrt-meyn ]

/ ˈmɔrtˌmeɪn /

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noun Law.

the condition of lands or tenements held without right of alienation, as by an ecclesiastical corporation; inalienable ownership.

the perpetual holding of land, especially by a corporation or charitable trust.

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Origin of mortmain

1250–1300; Middle English mort(e)mayn(e) <Anglo-French mortemain, translation of Medieval Latin mortua manus dead hand

Words nearby mortmain

mortise block, mortise chisel, mortise joint, mortise lock, mortling, mortmain, Morton, Morton Grove, mortsafe, mortuary, morula

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mortmain in a sentence

It was especially exempted from the Mortmain Acts, and was allowed to acquire property to the yearly value of £10.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert
Also before they could hold land in mortmain it would be necessary to obtain a charter.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert
Charters were also necessary before lands could be acquired in mortmain.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert
It was in his time that the famous Statute of Mortmain was passed.
The Cathedral Church of Canterbury [2nd ed.].|Hartley Withers

Like most of Edward's laws the statute of Mortmain was based on earlier precedents.
The History of England|T.F. Tout

British Dictionary definitions for mortmain

mortmain

/ (ˈmɔːtˌmeɪn) /

noun

law the state or condition of lands, buildings, etc, held inalienably, as by an ecclesiastical or other corporation

Word Origin for mortmain

C15: from Old French mortemain, from Medieval Latin mortua manus dead hand, inalienable ownership

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