antichreses
|an-ti-kri-sees|
/ˌæn.tɪˈkriː.siːz/
(antichresis)
pledge by use
Etymology
'antichresis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'antikhresis' (ἀντιχρήσεις), where 'anti-' meant 'in return' / 'opposite' and 'chresis' meant 'use'.
'antichresis' passed into Medieval Latin as 'antichresis' and was borrowed into English (via legal/Latin usage) as 'antichresis' with the plural 'antichreses'.
Initially it referred broadly to the idea of 'use in return' or 'use given in exchange'; over time it came to denote a specific legal security device in which the creditor receives use/benefit of the pledged property to secure a debt.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a form of security (historical/legal) in which a debtor grants a creditor the right to use and enjoy property (often land or buildings) as security for a debt while ownership remains with the debtor; the creditor takes the income or use of the property instead of interest payments.
Several rural estates were held as antichreses to secure long-standing loans.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 17:53