Readeption

Readeption, or reademption, is a historical term used chiefly in English legal and ecclesiastical writing to denote the restoration or redemption of a person, property, or status after a loss, forfeiture, excommunication, or separation. In feudal and manorial contexts, reademption could refer to the re-establishment of a claimant's rights to land or privileges after settlement, payment of fines, or fulfillment of conditions stipulated in a charter. In church law, the term described the restoration of a monk, parish, or religious property to favor after discipline or penance, or the reintegration of a person into communal membership.

The word derives from Latin redemptio (redemption) via Old French reademption or re-demption, with the prefix re- indicating restoration or return. The sense is close to restitution and restoration, but reademption was used with a particular emphasis on regaining what was forfeited or lost through legal or ecclesiastical process.

Today reademption is largely historical and occurs in scholarly discussions of medieval law, canon law, and historical texts, rather than in contemporary legal or religious practice. It is often encountered in translations of Latin sources where the concept of redemption or restoration is expressed with reademption. In modern usage, terms such as restoration, restitution, or redemption more commonly express similar ideas.

Notes: The term is obscure outside specialized historical contexts and may appear variably spelled as reademption or readeption depending on manuscript tradition. See also discussions of redemptio in Latin sources and the broader concepts of restoration and restitution in medieval law and canon law.