appurtenant
|ap-pur-te-nant|
🇺🇸
/əˈpɝːtənənt/
🇬🇧
/əˈpɜːtənənt/
belonging; attached
Etymology
'appurtenant' originates from Latin, specifically the Medieval Latin word 'appertinēns' (from 'appertinēre'), where the prefix 'ad-' (seen in forms as 'ap-') meant 'to' and 'pertinēre' meant 'to relate, to pertain'.
'appurtenant' changed from Medieval Latin 'appertinēns' and Old French forms (such as 'apertenir' / 'apertener') into Middle English 'appurtenaunt', and eventually became the modern English adjective 'appurtenant'.
Initially it meant 'to pertain or relate to' in the sense of connection; over time it specialized to mean 'belonging or attached (especially of property or rights)', a usage common in legal contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
belonging to or connected with something, often used of property or rights that are accessory to the main thing.
The barn is appurtenant to the farmhouse and conveys with the sale of the property.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
in legal contexts: forming a necessary or customary accompaniment; legally incident to land and passing with it (e.g., rights or easements).
The easement is appurtenant to the dominant tenement and cannot be separated from it.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/28 05:22