Home

Demise

Demise is a term with several related meanings in English. It most commonly denotes death or the end of existence, often used in formal or literary contexts: “the demise of a once mighty empire.” In legal and real estate usage, demise refers to the transfer of an estate in land by lease. In this sense, a landlord demises the property to a tenant, and the tenant holds a demise or leasehold interest. The demiser is the grantor, and the demised asset is the demised premises.

Etymology: The word comes from Old French demise, meaning delivery or surrender, ultimately from Latin dimittere

Usage notes: Because of its formal tone, demise appears in legal documents and formal journalism. It can

“to
send
away.”
The
sense
“death”
arose
in
Middle
English
as
a
euphemism
and
then
broadened
metaphorically
to
end
or
termination.
describe
the
end
of
a
person
or
institution
and
is
often
preferred
to
more
blunt
terms.
In
maritime
law,
a
demise
charter
is
a
contract
by
which
the
shipowner
leases
possession
and
management
of
a
vessel
to
a
charterer
for
a
period,
with
the
charterer
using
the
ship
as
if
they
owned
it
for
the
term.