Legal Definitions - hereditament

Hereditament

Hereditament is an old-fashioned word that is still used in some legal documents. It means any type of property that can be passed down to someone after the owner dies. This property can be something you can touch, like a house or a car, or something you can't touch, like a patent or a copyright.

• A house that is left to a child in a will
• A family heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation
• A business that is inherited by a family member

These examples illustrate the definition of hereditament because they all involve property that is passed down to someone after the owner dies. The house, the heirloom, and the business are all types of property that can be inherited.