viatical

[ vahy-at-i-kuhl, vee‑ ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a viaticum.
2. of or relating to a financial transaction in which a company buys life insurance policies from the terminally ill at less than their face value and may sell the policies to investors:

   viatical settlements.

viatical

/ vaɪˈætɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or denoting a road or a journey
2. botany (of a plant) growing by the side of a road

Word History and Origins

Origin of viatical¹

C19: from Latin viāticus belonging to a journey + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Q: Is a viatical settlement a good way to get some money?

From Seattle Times

Mr Freeman defends his willingness to enter into viatical settlements.

From BBC

In response, financial planners established the viatical business.

From New York Times

But it was crime and people went to prison — people like our old friend Gar Hogan,  sentenced to 28 years in prison for the crime of viatical fraud.

From Salon

We can all instinctively understand the idea of life insurance; most of us will feel an instinctive repugnance at the thought of the viatical industry or dead peasants insurance.

From The Guardian