bonorum possessio

noun

bo·​no·​rum pos·​ses·​sio

bəˈnōrəmpəˈzesē(ˌ)ō,

bōˈ-,

-ˈses-

Roman law

: the right of possession of the property of a deceased person

specifically : the effective right to succeed, which changed the order of succession of the older jus civile, given by the praetor to emancipated children along with descendants in power, to cognatic after agnatic relatives, and last to the surviving spouse

Word History

Etymology

Latin, possession of goods

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