reversion

American  

[ri-vur-zhuhn, -shuhn] / rɪˈvɜr ʒən, -ʃən /

noun

1. the act of turning something the reverse way.

2. the state of being so turned; reversal.

3. the act of reverting; return to a former practice, belief, condition, etc.

4. Biology.

   1. reappearance of ancestral characters that have been absent in intervening generations.

   2. return to an earlier or primitive type; atavism.

5. Law.

   1. the returning of an estate to the grantor or the grantor's heirs after the interest granted expires.

   2. an estate which so returns.

   3. the right of succeeding to an estate.

6. Archaic. the remains, especially of food or drink after a meal.

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reversion British  

/ rɪˈvɜːʃən /

noun

1. a return to or towards an earlier condition, practice, or belief; act of reverting

2. the act of reversing or the state of being reversed; reversal

3. biology

   1. the return of individuals, organs, etc, to a more primitive condition or type

   2. the reappearance of primitive characteristics in an individual or group

4. property law

   1. an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor or his heirs at the end of a period, esp at the end of the life of a grantee

   2. an estate so reverting

   3. the right to succeed to such an estate

5. the benefit payable on the death of a life-insurance policyholder

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Other Word Forms

• nonreversion noun
• reversionally adverb
• reversionary adjective

Etymology

Origin of reversion

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin reversiōn- (stem of reversiō ) a turning back. See reverse, -ion