per stirpes

[ pur stur-peez, per ]

adjective

, Law.

1. pertaining to or noting a method of dividing an estate in which the descendants of a deceased person share as a group in the portion of the estate to which the deceased would have been entitled.

Word History and Origins

Origin of per stirpes¹

First recorded in 1675–85, per stirpes is from Latin per stirpēs literally, “by stocks”

Example Sentences

In the absence of these, equality ruled between individuals; they shared 'per capita,' and not 'per stirpes.'

From Project Gutenberg

Indeed we need not care whether the division per stirpes or per capita, our share is not the less in either case.

From Project Gutenberg