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Definition of patrimony - 4 dictionary results

pat⋅ri⋅mo⋅ny

  [pa-truh-moh-nee]
Use patrimony in a Sentence
–noun, plural -nies.
1. an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors.
2. any quality, characteristic, etc., that is inherited; heritage.
3. the aggregate of one's property.
4. the estate or endowment of a church, religious house, etc.
Origin:
1300–50; ME patrimonie < MF < L patrimōnium. See patri-, -mony

Related forms:
pat⋅ri⋅mo⋅ni⋅al, adjective
pat⋅ri⋅mo⋅ni⋅al⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. inheritance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pat·ri·mo·ny   (pāt'rə-mō'nē)   
n.   pl. pat·ri·mo·nies

    1. An inheritance from a father or other ancestor.

    2. An inheritance or legacy; heritage.

  2. An endowment or estate belonging to an institution, especially a church.


[Middle English, from Old French patrimoine, from Latin patrimōnium, from pater, patr-, father; see pəter- in Indo-European roots.]
pat'ri·mo'ni·al adj., pat'ri·mo'ni·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

patrimony 
1340, "property of the Church," also "spiritual legacy of Christ," from O.Fr. patrimonie (12c.), from L. patrimonium "a paternal estate, inheritance," from pater (gen. patris) "father" + -monium, suffix signifying action, state, condition. Meaning "property inherited from a father or ancestors" is attested from 1377. Fig. sense of "immaterial things handed down from the past" is from 1581. A curious sense contrast to matrimony.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: pat·ri·mo·ny
Pronunciation: 'pa-tr&-"mO-nE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -nies
Etymology: Middle French patrimonie, from Latin patrimonium, from patr- pater father
1 : an estate inherited from one's father or ancestor patrimony —Wells Fargo Bank v. Kincaid, 260 California Appellate Reports Second 120 (1968)>
2 : an estate or endowment belonging to a church patrimony of the diocese>
3 in the civil law of Louisiana : the net assets of a person : the sum of a person's assets and liabilities patrimony of the spouse who owes reimbursement —Louisiana Civil Code>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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