reversionaladj.
/rᵻˈvəːʃn̩(ə)l/, /rᵻˈvəːʃən(ə)l/, U.S. /rəˈvərʒ(ə)nəl/, /riˈvərʒ(ə)nəl/, /rəˈvərʃ(ə)nəl/, /riˈvərʃ(ə)nəl/ 1. Of, relating to, characterized by, or of the nature of a reversion (reversion n.1 1). Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal right > right of possession or ownership > right to succeed to title, position, or estate > reversion > [adjective]
reversionary1640
reversional1659
1659 G. Wither Petition conc. Grievances sig. A3v The said Mr. Feilder doth knowingly defraud the State..of the Reversional Estate in the said Mannour.
1675 in J. H. Trumbull Public Rec. Colony Connecticut (1852) II. 250 His deed of guift..so makeing over the reversionall distribution of his estate to posterity as that his present necessities cannot be releiued.
1715 Let. to Publisher 19 in F. Grant Law, Relig. & Educ. A solemn War, founded on a soveraign Prince's own reversional Interest.
1755 W. Sharp Amiableness & Advantage of making Provision for Educ. Poor Children 21 Manifold Blessings besides, both direct and reversional.
1847 A. H. Clough Poems & Prose Rem. (1869) I. 285 Their lands come to them saddled with indefinite rent-charges, reservations, and reversional interests.
1858 Solicitors' Jrnl. & Reporter 25 Dec. 124/2 Now this is all perfectly legitimate and proper, because the manager is asked to bind his office to the reversional payment of a certain sum of money.
1923 Univ. Pennsylvania Law Rev. 71 347 The validity of the husband's assignment of his wife's reversional interest in a personal chattel.
1948 H. S. Allan John Hancock iv. 73 In spite of his huge accumulation of earned and reversional wealth, the merchant prince..could not bring himself to abdicate.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal right > right of possession or ownership > right to succeed to title, position, or estate > succession > [adjective] > relating to inheritance > types of heir
heir apparentc1375
supposititious1625
reversional1663
reversionary1733
1663 E. Waterhouse Fortescutus Illustratus xxviii. 366 To dock all reversional pretenders to annoyance.
3. Biology. = reversionary adj. 4. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > heredity or hereditary descent > [adjective] > production unlike parents > atavism
atavic1866
reversional1871
reversionary1871
atavistic1875
1871 C. Wright Darwinism 9 Reversional and correlated variations are, indeed, due to such internal conditions and to laws of inheritance..of which the causes, or the antecedent conditions in the organism, are unknown.
1904 Amer. Naturalist 38 3 A curious reversional condition is seen in many high bred domestic dogs.
1981 Bryologist 84 356 The present dichotomous habit of Metzgeriaceae is the reversional, reduced condition.
Derivatives
reˈversionally adv.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal right > right of possession or ownership > right to succeed to title, position, or estate > reversion > [adverb]
reversionally1783
1783 N. Manners Attempt to illustrate Following Subj. 85 Saved really or reversionally from original sin and all its consequences.
1860 A. B. Roawn Olde Countesse Desmonde 39 The heiress and her honours were thus reversionally assured.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1659