per stirpes

[pur stur-peez, per]

adjective

Law.

1. pertaining to or noting a method of dividing an estate in which the descendants of a deceased person share as a group in the portion of the estate to which the deceased would have been entitled.

Word History and Origins

Origin of per stirpes¹

First recorded in 1675–85, per stirpes is from Latin per stirpēs literally, “by stocks”

Example Sentences

Indeed we need not care whether the division per stirpes or per capita, our share is not the less in either case.

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But the division per stirpes was not maintained throughout.

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If sons all dead, grandsons probably divided per capita, It has generally been assumed that grandsons inheriting directly from their grandfather, all the intermediate generation being already dead, inherited none the less the shares of their respective fathers per stirpes.

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Gráma, 52 167 219 Grandsons inherit per stirpes, 39 120 ...

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There does not appear, however, to be any idea in the Mafulu mind of each son of the deceased owner being entitled to a specific equal fractional share, or of the descendants of a deceased son of that owner being between them only entitled to one share, per stirpes.

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