Adjoinment

Adjoinment is the act or state of adjoining, meaning the condition of being next to or sharing a common boundary with another object, area, or region. The term comes from the verb adjoin, which traces back to Old French and ultimately Latin roots meaning to join or connect.

In property, land surveying, and urban planning, adjoinment describes two or more parcels that touch along a boundary. Understanding adjoinment helps define legal descriptions of land, determine adjacent ownership, and locate boundaries on plats or cadastral maps. When parcels adjoin, a surveyor may record the shared border, note existing easements or rights of way, and address potential issues such as encroachments or boundary disputes.

Legal and practical implications of adjoinment can vary by jurisdiction. Deeds and land records often refer to an area that adjoins another as part of the description, and neighborly rights—such as access, drainage, or light—may depend on how properties adjoin. Accurate documentation of adjoinment is important for title clearance, subdivision development, and enforcement of boundary lines.

Beyond land, adjoinment can describe the physical joining of structures, such as buildings that adjoin along a shared wall or expansion plans that seek to adjoin new construction to existing facilities. In academic contexts, the term is less common; in mathematics, related concepts use different terminology, such as adjunction.

See also: adjoin, adjacency, boundary, parcel, easement, cadastral map.